Election Commission said all election officials will be vaccinated for COVID-19.
New Delhi:
Election officials will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, the Election Commission said on Friday as it announced dates for assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry.
Election officials are frontline workers and they will be vaccinated, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said in the news conference in Delhi.
Voting time has been increased by 1 hour because of the pandemic, he added. During filing of nominations, only two people will be allowed to accompany the candidate, he said.
This is the first major set of elections to be held in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic after the Bihar election.
EC To Announce Assembly Poll Dates For 4 States, 1 UT Today Feb 26, 2021, 12:46 IST
Election Commission will announce poll dates for Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry in the evening. The states are due for elections in April-May. This is the first major set of elections to be held in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic after the Bihar election. Polls are to be held for 294 seats in West Bengal, 234 seats in Tamil Nadu, 140 seats in Kerala, 126 seats in Assam and 30 seats in the Union Territory of Puducherry.
Bengal will see the highest stakes battle with CM Mamata Banerjee facing a tough challenge from the BJP amid an exodus from her Trinamool Congress to the BJP and corruption investigations against her party leaders.
Assembly Election 2021 schedule LIVE Updates: Bengal polls to be held in 8 phases, all results on Ma
18:23 PM IST: Addressing a press conference soon after the Election Commission announced the poll dates for five assemblies, including Bengal, CM Mamata Banerjee questioned the commission s decision to conduct elections in Bengal in eight phases.
17:51 PM IST: April 6 is going to be the busiest poll day. On this day, all 140 seats of Kerala, 234 seats of Tamil Nadu and 30 seats of Puducherry will go to the polls. The day will also witness third phase polling in Bengal (31) and Assam (40).
The EC will also hold bypolls on 2 parliamentary seats in Kerala on the same day.
JSW Paints in association with The Hindu Young World announced ‘Futurescapes’, a painting competition for school students of Classes 3 to 12.Open for students residing in the southern States of Tamil
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday questioned whether the polling dates for the forthcoming election in the state have been set to suit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).