E-Paper
State ECs hold mock elections, gear up for Rajya Sabha polls
The elections, to be held on June 19, will be the first major voting exercise since the pandemic. Nearly 1,000 legislators will vote across eight states — Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Rajasthan.
From mock election training sessions to isolation rooms and separate voting booths, states are gearing up for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in the backdrop of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
The elections, to be held on June 19, will be the first major voting exercise since the pandemic. Nearly 1,000 legislators will vote across eight states — Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Rajasthan.
While it is the health department of each state that is overseeing preparations, Election Commission officials, too, are extra vigilant. The commission has appointed a nodal officer in each state to ensure Covid-19 guidelines are strictly followed.
In Madhya Pradesh, where one MLA has tested positive for Covid-19, a health team will be present in the secretariat in case of medical emergencies.
“The MLA will be brought in last to vote,” an Election Commission official told HT on the condition of anonymity. “A separate polling booth is planned for the MLA, and all the elections officials present (when the MLA comes to the booth) will be wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) suits. The MLA, too, will be in PPE and will travel by ambulance, which will be sanitised properly.”
In Gujarat, where three MLAs have tested positive, discussions are still on to “finalise the arrangements”, additional chief electoral officer Ashok Manek said.
Amit Chavda, the Congress’s Gujarat president and a legislator, said the party has requested the poll watchdog to make separate arrangements for MLAs who have tested positive.
Officials in other states, too, are on alert.
In Andhra Pradesh, a special health team will be present to tackle exigencies, if any. “The polling staff will wear PPE suits and a separate isolation room has been created for emergencies,” said chief electoral officer (CEO) K Vijayanand. “Although there are no cases as yet, we are making sure we are prepared.”
MLAs will be provided with a mask and sanitizer upon arrival. In case an MLA is quarantined before the election, a sanitised vehicle will be provided for her/his travel and s/he will voted in a separate room, Vijayanand added.
In Meghalaya, along with sanitizer and mask, MLAs will also be provided a booklet on Covid-19 guidelines containing the dos and don’ts. “Holding room, medical room in case of medical eventualities have been arranged, and a contingency plan for alternative location has also been drawn up,” CEO F Kharkongor said.
Manipur CEO Prashant Kumar Singh, too, said the state will release a detailed booklet on preventive measures. “The officials will wear face shields,” Singh added.
In Rajasthan, a larger polling booth has been made and a dispensary set up. “A medical team will be present, and in case anyone shows signs of Covid-19, they will be taken directly to the dispensary,” Rajasthan CEO Arun Kumar said.
