Shift election date: Church

SHILLONG, JAN 15: Citing that the next day after the voting on February 23 is Sunday and poll officials who are mostly Christian in Garo hills cannot return back home and go to church, the Garo Baptist Convention requested the Election Commission of India to defer the date of voting in Meghalaya.

In a petition to the Chief Election Commissioner of India VS Sampath, the church leaders said, “Conducting polling on a Saturday means that election officials will have to travel back on Sunday and even, if they are to return on the voting day (February 23)  to their home the arduous journey through the hills and bad roads will leave them strained making them unable to attend the Sunday church.”

With three lakh population in the four districts of Garo hills, majority of the voters belongs to the Christian faith like in the rest of the state, therefore, the Garo Baptist church leaders and elders, “We earnestly urge the CEC to defer holding of elections during February 22-25 by either advancing to 21st or postpone to February 26 or 27, 2013.” – By Our Reporter