EC to announce schedule of bypolls at "appropriate time"

The Election Commission on Friday said it will announce the schedule for holding by-elections to assembly and Lok Sabha seats at an "appropriate time".

A total of 57 bypolls --56 assembly seats and one Lok Sabha constituency -- are due.

But the Commission did not specify whether the decision has been taken for all pending by-elections.

The announcement came after the poll panel decided to defer eight bypolls -- seven assembly and one Lok Sabha seat -- citing floods and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The six-month deadline to hold these eight bypolls was ending on September 7.

The remaining 49 bypolls are due after September.

An EC spokesperson tweeted that "a decision to hold by-elections in assembly and parliamentary constituencies was taken by the Commission after a review today (on Friday)."

"The schedule etc. shall be announced at an appropriate time," the spokesperson said without specifying whether the decision pertained to all 57 bypolls or the eight deferred due to pandemic and floods.