SC dismisses plea to advance voting timing for last phase of Lok Sabha election

The Supreme Court Friday rejected a plea seeking a direction to the Election Commission (EC) to advance polling timing to 5:30 am from 7 am for seventh phase of the Lok Sabha election in view of searing heat and Ramzan.

A vacation bench comprising Justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna said that court cannot go into the issue of poll timings and most phases of the Lok Sabha elections were already over.

"We cannot get into poll times. It is the Election Commission's call. There may be logistical issues," the bench told advocate Mohammad Nizamuddin Pasha who had filed the petition.

"Part of elections are already over. Only one phase remains now," the bench observed.

When the counsel referred to the searing heat in parts of the country, especially between 12 noon to 3 PM, the bench said, "The timings are from 7 am to 6 pm. People can come in the morning to cast their votes."
Following the poll panel's decision, Pasha had approached the apex court with his plea saying, "The reasoning given by the respondent (EC) in its order dated May 5 is ex-facie self contradictory as the respondent claims it has already taken acute hot weather conditions and festivals into account in fixing poll timing but still has passed orders fixing the same standard polling hours that are issued in every election at any time in any part of the country."