UP Elections 2022: EC to meet with top health official

New Delhi, Dec 25: The officials of the Election Commission of India will meet with the Centre's top health official ahead of the elections scheduled to be held in Uttar Pradesh next year.

The EC officials will meet with Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan and discuss the situation in the wake of the rising number of Omicron cases in the country. The commission will discuss the need for stricter safety protocols during the elections in UP and four other states scheduled to be held at the same time.

After the Allahabad High Court urged the Election Commission to postpone the Uttar Pradesh elections, the poll panel has said that it will take an appropriate decision.

"Next week we will go to Uttar Pradesh, review the situation there, and then take an appropriate decision," Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra told ANI.

The Allahabad High Court had requested the Election Commission to postpone the Uttar Pradesh Elections 2022 by month or two. The observations were made in the wake of the rising number of Omicron cases in the country.

The court also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ban election related gatherings in the state.

The observations were made while hearing an unconnected bail petition.

"If rallies are not stopped, results will be worse than the second wave. Jaan hai toh Jahaan hai, Justice Shekhar Yadav said. The observations were made after pointing out that the court was regularly crowded as scores of cases were listed daily and social distancing was not being followed.

"There's a possibility of the third wave of Covid as the cases of the new variant Omicron are rising," the judge said. He also quoted news reports about the number of cases and said that many countries have enforced a lockdown.

"Gram Panchayat elections and the Bengal assembly elections infected a lot of people, which caused many deaths as well," he said and added that political parties are organising rallies and gatherings in UP for the upcoming election. Following COVID-19 protocols at such events are impossible the judge also said.