New Delhi: The Election Commission has released a set of guidelines for political parties, voters and its officials, paving the way for polls to be held amid the pandemic.
Voters will be provided with what looks likely to be disposable gloves as they press the EVM button. COVID-19 patients in quarantine will be allowed to vote at the last hour of the polling day.
A separate set of guidelines will be issued for voters who are residing in areas notified as “containment zone”, the Election Commission said.
According to a report by Indian Express, the Election Commission had asked political parties to contribute suggestions which would go towards forming the guidelines.
The release of this set of guidelines signals that the Bihar state assembly polls are likely to be held, becoming the first to be conducted in the country amid the pandemic. The polls are likely to be held sometime in October-November.
The demand to defer the assembly elections in Bihar had been quite loud, with National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partner, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) joining the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress in clamouring for the polls to be postponed in the face of a steady rise in the cases of COVID-19 in the state.
Also read: Demand to Defer Assembly Polls in Bihar Gets Shriller
In June, election commissioner Sushil Chandra had said in an interview to the Indian Express that the EC is working out the modalities to allow people infected by the coronavirus and those above the age of 65 years to vote through postal ballots in the upcoming Bihar elections.
The commission has recommended mandatory sanitisation of polling stations, preferably a day before the polls.
Thermal scanners would be placed at the entry point of every polling station. Polling or paramedical staff will conduct thermal screening of voters at the entry point of a polling station, it said.
“There shall be maximum 1,000 electors instead of 1,500 electors in a polling station,” the guidelines said.
Campaign rules
A group of five people, including candidates but excluding security personnel, is allowed to take part in door-to-door campaigning.
For roadshows, the commission said, convoys of vehicles should be broken after every five vehicles instead of 10 (excluding security vehicles).
Public gatherings and rallies can be held subject to adherence to COVID-19 guidelines.
The district election officer should identify in advance dedicated grounds for public gatherings with clearly marked entry and exit points.
In all such identified grounds, the district election officer should put markers in advance to ensure social distancing norms are followed by the attendees.
The district election officer and district superintendent of police should ensure that the number of attendees does not exceed the limit prescribed by the State Disaster Management Authority for public gatherings, the commission said.
(With PTI inputs)