EC mandates rules for Assembly polls’ counting day
The Hindu
Negative test or both doses of vaccine mandatory for candidates and agents
The Election Commission of India (EC) on Wednesday made it mandatory for all candidates and their agents to have either negative COVID-19 test results or both doses of a vaccine before entering the counting halls on May 2, when votes in the five ongoing Assembly polls are tabulated. The EC issued instructions for counting of votes in the West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry elections at a time the country is going through an unprecedented surge of COVID-19. On Tuesday, the EC had banned all victory processions on May 2, and restricted the number of people accompanying winning candidates to collect their certificate of election from the Returning Officer to two. “In view of second wave of pandemic and in order to ensure a completely Covid safe arrangements during counting the Commission has been regularly consulting the Chief Secretaries and the Chief Electoral Officers of all five poll going States/ UT and has taken their views and safety measures/ protocol to be followed during the pandemic,” an EC statement said.
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