Poll at time of pandemic: EC conducts voting in West Bengal, bypolls in Karnataka and nine other states

Poll-panel claims Covid-19 safety protocols were strictly adhered to

Amid the raging second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic across the country, the Election Commission on Saturday conducted voting not only for the assembly polls in the 45 constituencies in West Bengal but also for bypolls in Karnataka and nine other states.

The commission claimed that voting in the 15789 polling stations in 45 assembly constituencies in West Bengal was held with strict adherence to the Covid-19 safety protocols. Apart from the fifth phase voting for the assembly elections in West Bengal, the EC also conducted voting in two parliamentary constituencies in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and 10 assembly constituencies in nine states.

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The EC stressed on maintaining the Covid-19 safety protocols during the fifth phase voting for the assembly polls in West Bengal, as well as the by-polls.

“The commission thanks voters for strictly following the protocols laid down for controlling Covid-19,” the poll panel stated in a press release issued in New Delhi. All the polling stations were sanitised on Friday and thermal scanning of the voters was arranged during voting on Saturday. Hand sanitisers and face masks were also made available at the polling stations and proper arrangements for social distancing were put in place, the poll panel stated.

The EC claimed that the Booth Level Officers and the volunteers “monitored and regulated strict compliance of social distancing norms at the polling stations”.

Apart from Belgaum Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka, polling for by-elections in Maski and Basavakalyan assembly constituencies in the state were also held on Saturday. The by-election was also held in 10 assembly constituencies in eight other states — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Polling was not required for the by-elections at Noksen in Nagaland as a candidate was elected unopposed.

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The poll panel stated that the voting was conducted peacefully and in an orderly manner.

The EC on Friday curtailed time for campaigning for the remaining phases of the assembly polls in West Bengal in view of the raging second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic across the country. The commission barred campaigning between 7 pm and 10 am for the constituencies which would go to polls on April 22, April 26 and April 29 next. The poll panel also extended the campaign silence period from 48 hours to 72 hours for the last three phases of polling in the state.

The commission asked the “star campaigners” of all the political parties to personally set examples by urging people attending rallies and public meetings to wear masks, use sanitizers and maintain social distancing. It wrote to the presidents and general secretaries of all political parties, stressing that it would henceforth be the responsibility of the organizers of the public meetings and the rallies to provide mask and sanitizer to everyone attending the events in the poll-bound constituencies of the state.

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The EC ordered that all candidates and the political parties should ensure “absolute adherence” to the guidelines it had issued on August 21 last year for conducting polls during a pandemic. It warned that violation of the guidelines would be sternly dealt with and action, including criminal proceedings, would be taken as per extant legal framework.