The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday issued a fresh set of guidelines for carrying out polls amid the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, just months before the Bihar Assembly elections scheduled for October and Bengal Assembly elections slated for next year.
Candidates can file their nominations online and people have to wear face masks during election-related activities, the new guidelines said.
The option of postal ballot facility has been extended to the voters who are marked as ‘persons with disabilities’. People, who are above the age of 80 years, people employed in notified essential services and those who have tested Covid-19 positive or are possibly infected can all vote through the postal ballot facility, the Election Commission said. However, guidelines for each of the categories of people who are eligible for postal ballot will be issued separately.
Thermal scanning of all voters will be carried out at the entry hall or premises where the polls will be held. Sanitisers, soap and water shall also be made available to all voters, according to the new rules.
Social distancing will mandatorily have to be followed in keeping with the guidelines issued earlier by the Ministry of Home Affairs. State administrations have been told to identify large halls to ensure that social distancing can be done during the polls.
On Thursday, former Union minister and United Democratic Alliance (UDA) convenor Yashwant Sinha joined a number of political leaders seeking postponement of the Bihar assembly polls in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Assembly elections are due in the months of October-November in Bihar, which has, till date, witnessed 1.15 lakh Covid-19 cases, including 574 deaths.
The Election Commission, however, has not made any official announcement about the poll schedule in the state.
Source: Hindustan Times
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