Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University deferred polling for Senate’s Graduates’ constituency. The polling was scheduled for December 11 against which a petition was pending in the court. On Wednesday the University told the court that the polling cannot be held as per the schedule in view of the Nagpur visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It was obvious that the polling date will be changed, as several voters may face difficulties in reaching the polling centres during Modi’s visit.
The court was moved with a major demand of granting adequate time for registration of the graduates and also for campaigning. Elections for other constituencies, which have a limited number of voters, were completed as per the schedule.
Several mistakes in the electoral roll for the graduates’ constituency have been pointed out. The University has argued that the list was prepared as per the information mentioned by the applicants in the prescribed registration forms. However, it appears impossible that any person would mention the place of ordinary residence, which does not exist on the map at all.
The University made several mistakes in scrutinising the nomination papers for the elections. It did not even bother to have a cursory look at the registration forms. The argument is difficult to digest.
The University may announce a fresh date for polling later.
