ECI To Take Call On Holding Physical Election Rallies, Roadshows Today

New Delhi: A meeting will be conducted by the Election Commission of India on 22 January in order to review the ban on physical roadshows and rallies by political parties ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in five states.

This meeting will be attended by the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya along with the Chief Health Secretaries of the five poll-bound states.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra will hold virtual meetings with the Health Secretary, Chief Secretary, and Chief Electoral Officers of five poll-bound states to examine the situation. This decision comes in the wake of surging Covid-19 cases across the country.

Earlier, a ban on election rallies and roadshows had been imposed by the election body until January 15 and it was later extended uptill January 22.

If any further relaxations are to take place, then the progress on vaccination will play a crucial role.

The country has clocked 3,37,704 fresh Covid cases as of 22 January with the total recoveries standing at 2,42,676 and the total fatalities standing at 488 deaths in the last 24 hours.

A total of 21,13,365 active cases have been recorded in the country with a daily positivity rate of 17.22 per cent.

The election commission aims to vaccinate as many voters as possible before the elections in the poll-bound states.

It is to be noted that Manipur, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh are the five states where the assembly elections will take place from next month.

Uttar Pradesh has 98,238 active Covid 19 cases currently and the state has inoculated 96 percent of its population with the first dose in the 18 plus category.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand inoculated 99 per cent of its population with the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 84 per cent of its population with the second dose.

Goa has vaccinated 98 per cent of its population above 18 years of age with a second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

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