New Delhi, May 6: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday rejected a plea seeking to advance the voting time from 7 am to 4:30 / 5:00 am in the morning for the remaining three phases of Lok Sabha elections due to Ramadan, also known Ramzan. The plea was earlier filed in the Supreme Court of India and the bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had asked the Election Commission to decide on the matter. Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Dates Row: Full Ramzan Month Cannot be Excluded, Says Election Commission.

The petition has been filed by advocates Asad Hayat and Mohammed Nizamuddin Pasha seeking change in time of polling as the intense heat waves prevailing in several parts of the country on the onset of Islamic holy month of Ramazan. Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Dates Clashing With Ramzan, EC Doesn't Want Minorities to Vote: TMC Leader Firhad Hakim.

"The petitioners pray for a direction to the Election Commission of India to extend the polling hours during the fifth, sixth and seventh phases of the ongoing general election, 2019 on May 6, May 12 and May 19, respectively, by 2-2.5 hours so as to commence at 4:30/5 am (instead of the notified time of 7 am) on account of the unprecedented heat waves prevailing in several parts of the country and the onset of the holy month of Ramzan," the plea read.

Meanwhile, Poll body while rejecting the plea said that the "Commission does not find it feasible to alter the existing hours of the poll for the 5th, 6th and 7th phase of general elections to the Lok Sabha, 2019."

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Even when the EC declared polling dates on March 10, objections were raised over the clashing with the holy month of Ramzan. The poll body clarified that while it has taken steps to skip Fridays as well as the day of the main festival, but it added that excluding a full month was not feasible.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 06, 2019 12:06 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).