Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi today announced that the Khadoor Sahib assembly bypoll would be held by mid-May next year, within six months of the seat falling vacant.
It was in October that the sitting Congress MLA, Ramanjit Singh Sikki, had sent his resignation to Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal in protest against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib at Baath village in the Khadoor Sahib segment.
However, the seat was formally declared vacant on November 18 after the Speaker accepted his resignation.
In accordance with the rules of the Election Commission (EC), the by-election has to be held on or before May 18.
Addressing a press conference at the end of his two-day visit to the city, Zaidi said the bypoll date would be decided only after receiving an intimation from the office of Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).
When asked whether the state government was violating the code of conduct by doling out grants for development works in Khadoor Sahib, the CEC replied, "At this stage, we cannot term this as any form of violation and the EC cannot intervene in this matter. Our supervisory role (in the constituency) begins only after the announcement of the bypoll.
