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New Delhi: The Election Commission of India will be announcing dates for Assembly elections for five states — Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur, and Goa — at 3:30 pm today.
The Election Commission recently concluded its poll preparedness for the upcoming Assembly elections in the five states.
Keeping in view the increasing cases of Covid-19 cases in the country, the ECI had held a separate meeting with Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan discussing the Covid-19 situation and status of vaccination in all the poll-bound states.
A thorough review of the current infection status of the Covid-19 was done during hte meeting in consultation with AIIMS doctor Randeep Guleria and Indian Council of Medical Research chief Dr Balram Bhargava.
The apex poll body has asked to accelerate Covid vaccine coverage in these poll bound states.
Earlier in a press conference held by the ECI during its visit to UP, it had informed that all the political parties were of the opinion that the election be held as per schedule. The Allahabad High Court had asked the Election Commission and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to postpone the elections considering the surge in cases of Covid-19 in the country.
To ensure maximum safety during the elections, the Election Commission said that polling officials will be designated as frontline workers and they will be fully vaccinated.
The ECI may likely make the State Disaster Management Agency (SDMA) responsible for enforcing Covid appropriate behaviour and curbs.
Advisory for the political parties may also be issued by the ECI to seek self-restraint on their part during campaigning and to switch to virtual modes of campaigning as much as possible.
Light to moderate intensity rain would occur over & adjoining areas of entire Delhi & NCR (Ballabhgarh, Chhapraula, Noida, Dadri, Greater Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad, Manesar, Tizara, Alwar (Rajasthan) during the next 2 hours (issued at 7 am): IMD
Background
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The Supreme Court heard the matter pertaining to PM Narendra Modi's security lapse and reserved the judgment for Monday. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court directed the Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to secure the records pertaining to security arrangements made for PM Modi's visit from the state government, police and central agencies.
The incident has triggered a major political row just weeks ahead of the Punjab election as the BJP alleged the ruling Congress in the state "tried to physically harm" the prime minister.
PM Modi had to return from poll-bound Punjab without attending any event, including a rally.
After the Uttar Pradesh Congress called off its rallies and woman's marathons in the poll-bound state due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, party's General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is set to launch a virtual campaign from today.
In other news, as per latest information, India and China are to hold the 14th round of Corps Commander level talks on January 12 to resolve the ongoing stand-off on the Line of Actual Control, reported ANI.
Forecasters are predicting some good news for the Indian market as India’s GDP (gross domestic product) estimated to grow at 9.2 per cent in FY22, as against a contraction of 7.3 per cent in the previous fiscal, mainly due to improvement in the performance of agriculture and manufacturing sectors, the National Statistical Office (NSO) said on Friday.
We will have a close eye on this and other news updates from the day.
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