Parties Want UP Polls on Time With Covid Protocol, EC to Help Those Unwilling to Visit Booths: CEC Chandra
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The voting time for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections has been extended to maintain Covid protocol as the number of cases, fuelled by Omicron, have witnessed a surge recently.
Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra on Thursday said that the voting will be held from 8am to 6pm on the date of polling. “Sixty-one per cent voter turnout was recorded in 2017 UP assembly elections. In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, voter turnout in UP was 59%. It a matter of worry why voting percentage is less in the state where there is high political awareness among people,” he added.
Chandra further said that VVPATs to be installed at all voting booths, and live webcasting facilities will be available at nearly one lakh voting booths to ensure transparency in election process.
The decisions were taken after representatives of all political parties approached the poll body and said that they were not in favour or deferring the polls. The CEC said that the final voters list will be released on January 5, 2022.
The terms of Goa, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur legislative Assemblies are ending on different dates in March next year while the Assembly’s term in Uttar Pradesh will end in May.
The commission may also seek suggestions from Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on improving its Covid-19 protocol for poll campaigning, polling days and the dates of counting. Bhushan on Thursday wrote to eight states and Union territories that are reporting increased number of Covid and Omicron cases. The states have been told that there has been a surge in the tally and lessening of doubling time.
Last week, the Chief Election Commissioner and fellow Election Commissioners visited Uttar Pradesh to take stock of the poll preparedness in the state. The commission had earlier visited Punjab, Goa and Uttarakhand as part of its pre-poll stock-taking exercise.
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