Election Commission assesses Covid situation in five poll-bound states

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Monday assessed the COVID-19 situation in the five poll-bound states with the Union health secretary and asked the top brass of the Narcotics Control Bureau to check the influence of drugs in elections.

The commission also met top officials of ITBP, BSF and SSB and pressed for maintaining strict vigil on international borders some of the poll-going states share. Sources aware of the meetings said Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan briefed the poll panel for nearly an hour on the Covid situation in the country, especially the poll-bound Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The issue of the spread of Omicron variant of the coronavirus was also discussed.

During their interaction with top officials of NCB, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Border Security Force (BSF), the poll panel asked the Narcotics Control Bureau to ensure drugs do not influence polls.

The commission in particular referred to Punjab and Goa with regard to drug smuggling, the sources said. The terms of Goa, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur legislative Assemblies are ending on different dates in March next year while the Uttar Pradesh Assembly's term will end in May.

The Election Commission has also asked the Centre to speed up the Covid-19 vaccination in poll-bound states to ensure that all the voters are fully vaccinated.

The Election Commission is expected to announce election dates next month. On Tuesday, the Chief Election Commissioner and fellow Election Commissioners are scheduled to visit Uttar Pradesh to take stock of the poll preparedness in the state.

An Allahabad High Court bench of Justice Shekhar Yadav had on Thursday last urged the government and the poll panel to consider postponing the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections for a month or two and banning all political rallies amid the fears of an impending third wave of Covid.