Indian Union Muslim League to urge EC to change dates for polls on Fridays

A day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the poll dates for the 18th Lok Sabha elections, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), on Sunday said it will move the poll panel seeking to change the polling dates in Kerala and Tamil Nadu as they fall on Friday.
For Tamil Nadu, the polls will be held on April 19 and in Kerala on April 26. Both dates fall on a Friday.
The IUML, a major ally of the Opposition Congress party in the UDF, said it will approach the ECI to change the dates of elections in Kerala and Tamil Nadu as it causes inconvenience to voters, officials, and candidates as Friday is important day for Muslims.
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Talking to PTI, P M A Salam, state general secretary of IUML, said Fridays are an important day for the Muslims who gather in mosques for prayer.
“The announcement of polling on Friday will cause inconvenience to voters, candidates, polling agents, and officials assigned to election duty. We will move the ECI,” he said.
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Other Muslim organisations are also reportedly planning to move the commission, seeking a change in the date.