EC seeks suggestions on conducting poll campaigns amid Covid-19

The parties have been asked to send in their views and suggestions by July 31. This comes as Bihar is set to go assembly polls later this year amid the Covid-19 crisis.

The Election Commission of India has asked national and regional political parties to send in their views and suggestions by July 31 on how to conduct election campaigns and public meetings amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

File photo: A view of the Election Commission of India building, Nirvachan Sadan, in New Delhi. (Arvind Yadav/HT PHOTO)

This comes as Bihar is set to go assembly polls later this year amid the Covid-19 crisis. Several opposition parties of Bihar urged the Election Commission on Friday to assure voters that the upcoming assembly polls, amid the pandemic, do not become a “super-spreader event”.

“Accordingly, you are requested to kindly send your views and suggestions latest by July 31, 2020, so that necessary guidelines may be firmed up for the election campaign by candidates or political parties for the conduct of election during pandemic period,” it said in the letter to the parties.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the state badly. In capital city Patna, as many as 89 containment zones and over 16 districts have been put under lockdown for another 15 days with effect from July 16,” the opposition memorandum said.