• Source:PTI
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The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct the byelections for the Pune Lok Sabha seat, which has been vacant since March 29, 2023, after the death of MP Girish Bapat. The SC also stayed the Bombay High Court (HC) order that had issued a similar direction to the ECI.

The SC bench, composed of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra observed that the ECI’s argument that the bypoll would be a waste of resources as the current Lok Sabha term is ending on June 16 this year was not convincing. 

The apex court, however, questioned the ECI on the delay in holding the bypoll for the Lok Sabha seat and asked why it had not held the bypoll within the stipulated six-month period as per the law.

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The current Lok Sabha’s term will expire on June 16, 2024, while BJP MP from Pune Girish Bapat passed on March 29, 2023. There was more than a year left on the seat’s tenure that became vacant after Bapat passed away. As per the law, a byelection was mandated under Section 151A of the Representation of the People Act 1951 to fill the position within six months from the date the seat is vacant, which is March 29, 2023.

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BJP MP Girish Bapat was a senior leader of the ruling party. He also held the positions of Minister of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, Food and Drugs Administration and Parliamentary Affairs in the Maharashtra state government before winning the Lok Sabha polls from Pune constituency in the 2019 general elections.