India's Election Commissions defers Parliament polls

Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 13:58:50|Editor: Song Lifang
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NEW DELHI, May 23 (Xinhua) -- India's independent Election Commission has decided to indefinitely put on hold elections for the country's Upper House of Parliament slated for next month in view of the presidential poll and a hackathon of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

Earlier the elections to 10 Upper House (Rajya Sabha) seats from Goa and Gujarat in the west and West Bengal in the east were scheduled for June 8.

"The presidential elections may coincide with the schedule of the biennial elections. Also the commission has invited political parties from June 3 to try and hack EVMs," a spokesperson for the Election Commission told the media.

The term of six Rajya Sabha members, or parliament members from West Bengal and three from Gujarat will expire in August and one from Goa in July this year. "The fresh program for holding elections to the Rajya Sabha seats from these states will be announced in due course," the Commission said.

Indian Textile Minister Smriti Irani of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s general secretary Sitaram Yechury are two of the Rajya Sabha members whose terms expire in August.

The five-year term of incumbent Indian President Pranab Mukherjee also expires in July-end and elections are to be held soon for a new head of state.

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