COVID-19 | ANI Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra to take a call on poll rallies

New Delhi India January 15 ANI Chief Election Commissioner CEC Sushil Chandra will hold a series of virtual meetings with the Health Secretary, Chief Secretary, and Chief Electoral Officers of five poll-bound states before taking a call on holding poll rallies and roadshows, said sources.

In order to get feedback from Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, Chandra will take feedback from Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, who will brief the overall picture of Covid cases in the country, and measures taken by states to combat the surge of Covid 19 cases to the Commission.

India reported 2,68, 833 fresh COVID cases, 4,631 more than yesterday, and 1,22, 684 recoveries in the last 24 hours. There are 14,17, 820 active cases in the country with a daily positivity rate of 16.66 per cent.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also had a meeting with the Chief Ministers of States this week.

After that, Commissioner Sushil Chandra will meet with Health Secretary and Chief Secretary of Poll-bound five states. The last scheduled meeting is with Chief Electoral Officers of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa.

The Election Commission of India ECI has decided that no physical rallies, roadshow, pad-yatra, cycle bike rally and procession will be allowed until January 15, 2022.

The commission will review the situation and issue further instructions accordingly.

The political gatherings will be called after January 15 based on the dynamic situation of the pandemic's third national wave, Chandra said. He said the duration of the polling will be extended by an hour due to the Covid restrictions.

The ECI on Friday organized a briefing for Observers to be deployed to the Legislative Assemblys of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.