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EC to meet health officials to discuss holding polls amid Covid

December 27, 2021 10:26 IST

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will convene a meeting with senior officials of the Union Health Ministry including Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Monday to discuss about the current COVID-19 situation as five states are going into polls next year, informed ECI sources.

IMAGE: A security person checks ID cards of voters outside a polling booth during Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections, in Kolkata, on December 19, 2021. Photograph: PTI Photo

Assembly elections are due in five states including Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Punjab for next year.

 

"The Election Commission of India will convene a meeting on December 27 at 11 am with senior officials of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare including Secretary Rajesh Bhushan. The meeting will discuss the prevailing COVID19 situation for upcoming Assembly elections in five states," sources said.

Earlier, amid the COVID variant Omicron scare, the Allahabad high court on Thursday requested the Election Commission to immediately postpone the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh for 1-2 months.

The court also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ECI to immediately ban rallies and public meetings of political parties in the state.

Source: ANI