Elections Could Be Postponed: Allahabad HC's Request To Election Commission Amid Omicron Scare
Keeping Omicron situation in view, Allahabad High Court on Thursday urged the central government to stop political rallies from being held in election-bound states.
New Delhi: As the cases of Omicron variant of Covid-19 are on the rise in India and the official tally crossed the 300 mark, initial curbs are being introduced by states and the Centre is gearing up for a worsening situation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took a review meeting on Thursday to check preparedness against a possible outbreak of another Covid-19 wave.
Keeping such a situation in view, Allahabad High Court on Thursday urged the central government to stop political rallies from being held in election-bound states.
A Bench of Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav said the number of patients infected with Omicron variant are increasing and there is a possibility of a third wave.
The much-awaited Uttar Pradesh assembly election is to be held early next year, all political parties are on a campaign spree to woo voters. Political parties are mobilising hundreds and thousands of people holding election rallies where it is difficult to maintain Covid protocols.
If this is not stopped in time, the consequences could be direr than the second wave of the pandemic, the HC observed.
The court requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to immediately stop such rallies and gatherings and also order political parties to campaign through TV channels and newspapers.
The court said, if possible, the elections could be postponed by a couple of months because only if there is life, then the election rallies and meetings can take place and the right to life has also been given under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
During the second wave, the country saw lakhs of people getting infected by coronavirus and many died contracting the disease, the HC said.
The gram panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal Assembly polls also contributed to a rise in infections that led to many deaths due to Covid-19, it stated.
The court also said countries like China, the Netherlands, and Germany have imposed complete or partial lockdowns due to the rising cases.
The court made the remarks while allowing the bail plea of a person named Sanjay Yadav.
(With PTI Inputs)
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