UP assembly polls won't be deferred: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra on Thursday said all political parties in Uttar Pradesh want the Assembly elections to be held according to schedule while ensuring Covid protocol.

The number of polling booths will be enhanced and the voting time increased by an hour, he said, adding polling officials will be vaccinated and those eligible will be given a booster dose.

The CEC also asked the state to step up vaccination.

"The tenure of Uttar Pradesh Assembly ends on 14 May. Representatives of all political parties met us and told us that elections should be conducted on time following all Covid-19 protocols. We have also met all district magistrates and superintendents of police of the districts, other senior officers. We also met GST, ED, IT officials. We want to keep elections free of corrupt practices. These agencies have given clear instructions to ensure the same," he said.

He further said that the people over the age of 80, those with disabilities, and those affected by COVID-19 will be able to vote from home.

"People above 80 years of age, persons with disabilities, and COVID-affected people who are unable to come to the polling booth, the Election Commission will reach their doorsteps for a vote," he said.

The CEC said that the final list of voters will be released on January 5, adding that voting will be held from 8 am to 6 pm on the date of polling.

"Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPAT) will be installed at all voting booths. Live webcasting facilities will be available at around 1 lakh voting booths to ensure transparency in the election process," he said.

"The staff deployed at voting booths across the State will be fully vaccinated," he added.

Talking about big political rallies being held ahead of the elections amid surging COVID-19, Chandra said, "We have discussed this issue with the health secretary here. When elections are announced, we will issue directions specifically on this issue looking at the situation then."

CEC Chandra said that in Uttar Pradesh there are 54.8 lakh new voters.

He also said 'it's a matter of worry' on why the voter turnout was low in the state.

'61 per cent voter turnout was recorded in 2017 UP assembly elections. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, voter turnout in UP was 59 per cent. It a matter of worry why the voting percentage is less in the state where there is high political awareness among people,' the CEC said.

A delegation of the Election Commission of India (ECI) is on a three-day visit to Uttar Pradesh to review the preparations for the upcoming polls to ensure free and fair elections.

The Assembly elections in the state are scheduled for next year.

In the 2017 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party bagged 312 seats out of the 403-seat Uttar Pradesh Assembly while Samajwadi Party bagged 47 seats, Bahujan Samajwadi Party won 19 and Congress could manage to win only seven seats.

The rest of the seats were bagged by other candidates.