Chandigarh India January 17 ANI Shiromani Akali Dal SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal was among the political leaders who expressed happiness at the decision of the Election Commission of India ECI to postpone the Punjab Assembly elections.
The Punjab polls were postponed by ECI on February 20. The SAD chief told media persons that all the parties in Punjab asked the commission to postpone the polls here because many people from the SC community from the state are likely to visit Varanasi in view of Guru Ravidas birth anniversary on February 16, the birth anniversary of the Guru Ravidas, according to the SAD chief.
He said: "We are happy that ECI has taken this decision and postponed the elections here. Danjeet Singh Chima, the SAD leader, welcomed the decision of the European Central Bank on Tuesday.
He said that the ECI took into account the religious beliefs of people because they have taken into account the religious beliefs of people.
The decision is that of the Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, who welcomed the decision and said that when a large number of people make a demand related to their religion and the Election Commission of India listens to them, it becomes a decision that respects and honours the voice of the people. All parties in Punjab have written to the ECI about the postponing of polls here, according to Anil Sarin, BJP leader.
We have written to the ECI for the postponing of the Punjab polls. We welcome the decision. The BJP leader said we were thankful that they understood the sentiments of people and considered our request.
He said that it is true that it will give us more time for campaigning in the state for polls, but considering the religious beliefs of devotees is more important. The ECI decided to postpone the voting dates for the Punjab Assembly election to February 20 earlier today. The State was due to go to the polls on February 14.
This comes after several political parties, including Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress, asked the Commission to postpone the elections.