Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Jan 8: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to announce the dates for assembly polls in five states – Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur in a few minutes today.
Before the election schedule, new Covid-19 protocols were announced in the wake of an increase in the number of cases across India.
Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra said, “We have to conduct elections in a way which saves voters and parties. Our first and foremost objective is Covid safe election. A lot of advanced planning and meticulous preparation has been done.”
According to the CEC, the Election Commission has three objectives: Covid safe elections, easy elections and maximum voter participation.
“We have been working on election preparedness for the past 6 months. Keeping Omicron in view, we will take all precautions possible,” he said.
In view of the Covid-19 situation, there will be no roadshow, padyatra or physical rallies allowed in the five states till January 15. Physical rallies, if allowed, will be as per DDMA guidelines. Parties will have to provide masks to the particiapants. A maximum of five people will be allowed for door to door campaigning, including the candidate. All candidates will have to give an undertaking on Suvidha app that they will follow Covid guidelines.
The Election Commission will be cancelling rallies if there are violations of these protocols.
The ECI has decided to allow Covid positive patients, senior citizens (80+) and PWDs with disability certificate to cast their votes through postal ballots. The poll body has also reduce the number of voters per polling booth. It has been capped at 1,250.
Waiting area, toilets, ramps, all on ground floors, sanitisers and masks will be made available on all polling booths. There will be 1,620 polling stations will be manned by women staff, the CEC said.
The poll body had met with the Health Ministry last week to review the current state of Covid in the five states. The Ministry of Health had submitted a report on the return of the disease as well as the condition of vaccine coverage across the country.
