SC to hear plea on rescheduling of poll timings

The Supreme Court on Friday decided to hear on May 13 a petition challenging the Election Commission's refusal to advance polling time by two hours in view of the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramzan.

The petition was filed by advocate Nizamuddin Pasha, who mentioned it for urgent hearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

The lawyer-petitioner sought that the polling in the remaining two phases should begin from 5 am instead of the scheduled time of 7 am.

The Election Commission had on May 5 dismissed the prayer of Pasha for rescheduling the poll timing.

The top court had earlier asked the lawyer-petitioner to approach the electoral body with the plea for advancing the poll timings.

"Having considered all aspect of the matter, the commission does not find it feasible to alter the existing hours of the poll for the 5th, 6th and 7th phase of general elections to the Lok Sabha, 2019 as sought by you (the petitioner,)" the EC had said earlier.

The Supreme Court on May 2, asked the Election Commission to decide a plea for re-scheduling the voting time from 7 am to 5 am during the month of Ramzan and due to heat-wave conditions in Rajasthan and other areas.

Advocate, Meenakshi Arora, appearing for Pasha, had earlier submitted to the bench of the top court, led by Chief Justice Rajan Gogoi, that the timing should begin from early because of declaration of a possible heat wave during those days by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) as well as the beginning of the month of Ramzan.

Arora further had submitted to the top court that since the polling time cannot be extended in the evening due to the heat wave, the process should be allowed to begin sooner than usual.