The state government, which has begun to prepare for elections to the urban bodies, may put it off because of the corona pandemic. After the bypoll outcome, the government was planning to hold the urban bodies’ polls as early as possible. It has decided to announce the poll dates in December and conduct the elections in January.
Now that the number of corona patients has begun to shoot up, the government may postpone the polls till the arrival of a vaccine. If the vaccine is available in January, the government’s priority will be to vaccinate people. The urban bodies’ polls may be held later since a large number of government employees will be pressed into service for vaccinating people.
The number of patients has begun to increase in the state since Diwali. Corona cases are also increasing daily in the big cities. As the urban bodies’ polls are a small affair, the number of people taking part in it is very high. Thus, the government is planning to delay the elections to arrest the spurt in corona cases.
Although the number of corona cases have increased after the bypolls and the government is being criticised for it, conducting the bypolls was not in the government’s hand. But now, the government feels that, if the number of corona cases goes up after the urban bodies’ polls, it will be blamed.
The State Election Commission had begun to prepare for the urban bodies’ elections, too, but it will now take a decision depending upon the government’s willingness.
