Election Commission announces poll schedule for poll-bound states
The Election Commission announced poll schedules for Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur amid the Omicron variant. The commission also urged the parties to ensure that their candidates do not engage in hate speech and fake news during the election.
Uttar Pradesh to go to poll in 7 phases from February 10 to March 7. Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Goa to go to poll on February 14. Manipur to vote on February 2 and March 3. In all the states, polling will go on for an extra hour because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The EC also announced Covid protocols that need to be followed during the elections. The EC further announced a campaign curfew after 8 pm to tackle the spread of Covid-19. The announcement came on a day when the WHO (World Health Organisation) asked nations to follow protocols to stop the surge of the Covid-19 virus and the Omicron variant. India reported 1,41,786 new Covid-19 cases.
The election is important for many political parties
The election is important for BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the opposition parties. The BJP will defend its governments in Uttar Pradesh (UP) from February 10 to March 7. The BJP is in power in four states including Goa, Manipur, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
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Meanwhile, leaders from all the political parties are campaigning for months to register their win in the upcoming polls. Congress, TMC, AAP, and BJP are fighting aggressively to win the election in poll-bound states. Many political parties already announced the cancellation of political rallies. They will be focusing more on digital campaigns.
Last week, the Election Commission held a meeting with the Health Ministry to discuss the current Covid-19 situation in the five states. The Health Ministry had submitted a report on the resurgence and the status of vaccination coverage across the nation.
