Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav has clarified that there will be no change in the election schedule. 

Following the Supreme Court’s verdict which has stated that the EC would seriously consider the issue of printing separate ballot papers for the FPTP election system as that would begin printing from October 27, the election body had formed a seven-member task force led by Joint Secretary Dinesh Kumar Ghimire to study on the possible effects of printing separate ballot papers for FPTP election system. 

The Ghimire-led task force submitted its report on Sunday evening, but the authorities refused to share the recommendation. 

“The task force has submitted its report. We will see what can be done after studying the report about implementation of SC verdict, but there will be no change in the existing election schedule on any pretext,” CEC Yadav told the Post. 

Sources said the task force has recommended the EC that printing separate ballot papers for FPTP election and holding the polls on the scheduled dates will not be possible. 

EC Spokesperson Navaraj Dhakal said printing separate ballot papers would demand extra time and expenditure on trainings, security and human resource management.

He also said that the task force would also assess the effects to the existing election schedule if the EC was to print separate ballot papers for FPTP election system.

The SC on October 19 had refused to issue interim order as demanded by petitioner Sarbendra Nath Shukla regarding the ballot papers.

Following the SC decision, the petitioner Sarbendra Nath Shukla had reached the EC on Wednesday and demanded the election body to uphold the apex court’s verdict.