Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra on Thursday dispelled fears of delayed Assembly polls in UP and told a press conference that all political parties want elections be conducted on time. The indication comes in the backdrop of a single-judge Bench of the Allahabad High Court urging the EC to postpone the elections in view of the surge in Covid cases.
The CEC is on a 3-day visit to Lucknow to assess poll preparations. One of the takeaways from the interface was that polling will be extended by an hour and conclude at 6 PM. Also, the staff deployed at voting booths will be fully vaccinated. As regards the huge political rallies, the EC has discussed the issue with the state health secretary and directions will be issued when the election dates are announced.
Chandra said some parties wanted to limit the number of rallies in view of the pandemic, while others wanted deployment of paramilitary forces.
Further, the number of voters at each polling booth will be capped at 1250 to ensure social distancing. As regards people above 80 years of age, persons with disabilities and COVID affected, who are unable to come to the polling booth, the Election Commission will reach their doorstep and facilitate the voting.
