SC refuses to entertain PIL to defer Bihar polls, says COVID-19 cannot be ground

The Bench said it was a premature petition as no notification for the Assembly polls had been issued.

August 28, 2020 12:01 pm | Updated 12:03 pm IST - New Delhi

A view of the Supreme Court of India in New Delhi. File

A view of the Supreme Court of India in New Delhi. File

Stating that COVID-19 cannot be a ground for postponing the Bihar elections, the Supreme Court on August 28 refused to entertain a PIL seeking to defer the Assembly polls till the State was free from the virus.

The Election Commission of India will take everything into account, a Bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said.

The Bench, also comprising Justices R.S. Reddy and M.R. Shah, said it was a premature petition as no notification for the Assembly polls had been issued yet.

The petitioner, Avinash Thakur, had sought a direction to the Chief Election Commissioner to postpone the polls due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the ground that the Representation of the People Act provides for the deferment of polls in extraordinary situations.

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