DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand high court on Wednesday asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to consider banning large public meetings and allowing only virtual rallies for the state assembly elections expected to be held next month.
“Let the Election Commission of India consider issuing appropriate directions prohibiting a large public rallies for ensuing the election for the Uttarakhand State Legislative Assembly. The Election Commission shall also consider for issuing appropriate directions for campaigning in virtual mode. We also request the Election Commission of India to consider the alternative of virtual voting in future,” a division bench comprising chief justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra and justice Alok Kumar Sharma said on an oral prayer by a petitioner, Sachdanand Dabral, during a hearing on management of Covid-19 cases in the state.
“The ECI has been directed to file its response by January 12, when the matter has been listed for next hearing”, said lawyer Shobit Saharia, who represented the election commission.
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{{/usCountry}}This is the second time in less than a fortnight that a high court has nudged ECI to consider barring public rallies against the backdrop of growing concerns over the Omicron variant of the coronavirus disease.
On December 23, the Allahabad high court advised ECI and Centre to defer elections to the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, and in case it decides to go ahead, to ban rallies and public meetings. The election commission decided to stick to its schedule on UP elections after a meeting with political parties in the state.
Chief election commissioner Sushil Chandra told reporters on December 30 that a decision on curtailing big political rallies and holding virtual rallies will be taken according to the Covid graph.
Last year, ECI came in for severe criticism over the conduct of assembly elections in West Bengal -- Covid protocols were not followed by all parties involved for much of the campaign -- which coincided with the second wave of the pandemic.
Lawyer Shiv Bhatt, who appeared for petitioner Sachdanand Dabral, said he argued for postponing the elections or allowing political parties to hold only virtual rallies in view of the rising Covid cases.
Bhatt said he told the court that 97 elections have been postponed across the world. “I also apprised the court about Arvind Kejriwal’s public rally in Dehradun after which he tweeted, he was Covid-positive”, he said.
Bhatt said ECI was made a party in the case on December 29, and its lawyer told to obtain instructions from the commission on the plea.
Uttarakhand has 654 active Covid-19 cases including 8 cases that have been confirmed to be of the Omicron variant.
Anoop Nautiyal, founder of Dehradun based Social Development for Communities (SDC) Foundation said it is a welcome development. “And by the time ECI comes up with its response, political parties should also come up with their stand on how they want to proceed at a time when cases are rising. They should also come up with their own guidelines for safe political activity and campaigns so that political rallies don’t emerge as the epicentre of Covid-19 spread,” he said.