Election Commission ‘not in hurry’ for Wayanad bypoll

The Election Commission on Wednesday said there was no hurry to declare byelection to the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat as the trial court has given Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified as member, one month to file an appeal. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the poll panel has taken decisions on vacancies that have occurred till February. Addressing a press conference here, the CEC said the trial court in Surat has given Rahul Gandhi 30 days too seek a judicial remedy the matter. “There is no hurry, we will wait. There is not hurry to do it before exhausting that particular remedy which the trial court had accorded. We will take a call after that,” Kumar said. He said the vacancy in the Wayanad parliamentary party was notified on March 23 this year and as per the law, a bypoll has to be conducted within six months. Kumar said the law also states that if the remainder of the term was less than one year, then the election will not be held. The CEC said that in the case of Wayanad, the remainder of the term is more than a year.