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The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday said all political parties want the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh to be held as per schedule while ensuring Covid protocol. Elections are due in UP by mid-March when the term of the Yogi Adityanath government ends.
It said the number of polling booths will be increased and voting time will be extended by an hour. Polling officials will be vaccinated and those eligible will be given a booster dose too, it said.
Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra who is there on a three-day visit to Lucknow to review preparations for the elections, held a series of meetings with representatives of different political parties as well as State and district-level officials.
“I have been told that 86 per cent of the people in the State have got the first dose and 49 per cent the second shot of Covid vaccine...we have been assured that in 15-20 days all eligible people will get their first dose. We have asked for increasing vaccination,” he said.
The situation regarding the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus was also reviewed, Chandra said adding that it has been noted that there was not much impact of the latest variant in the State where only four cases were reported and three of them have recovered.
Polling booths increased
The number of polling booths in the State will be increased by 11,000 to maintain proper social distancing. “Earlier, a booth was made for 1,500 voters. But keeping in mind the Covid pandemic, the number of voters in each booth has been reduced to 1,250. Because of this, the number of polling booths has increased by 11,000. So, a total of 1.74 lakh polling booths will be set up,” he said.
Thermal scanners, masks will be provided at all polling booths and special care will be there on maintaining social distancing, besides proper sanitisation of booths, he said.
Transfer of officials
To ensure free and fair elections, the EC also ordered the transfer of officials who have been posted at one place for over a year after various political parties complained. Around 5,000 policemen have been transferred and the remaining will be transferred soon, Chandra said and added that there will be 4,030 model polling booths -- 10 in each constituency -- and 800 all-women polling stations will be set up. For the first time, senior citizens and differently-abled will have the option of casting their votes from their houses, the CEC added.
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