Several BJP MLAs and MPs, together with Kaushal Kishor, have appealed to the Election Commission to postpone the Uttar Pradesh panchayat elections stating that the polling may develop into a “super spreader” amid the latest surge in coronavirus circumstances within the state.
The State Election Commission (SEC) had mentioned in March that no more than 5 folks can be allowed to accompany a candidate throughout door-to-door campaigning for the panchayat elections. Additional Election Commissioner Ved Prakash Verma mentioned a three-member crew was shaped beneath the extra district magistrates to make sure the SEC’s directives had been being adopted.
The chief medical officers have been made nodal officers and stress has been laid on COVID-19 prevention on the district degree.
During polling, the voters may have to put up a masks and preserve social distancing. Instructions have additionally been issued to make circles at a distance of six-feet on the polling centres. Verma mentioned COVID-19 norms would even be adopted throughout counting of votes and PPE kits would even be organized as per requirement.
Voting for the Uttar Pradesh panchayat elections, starting on Thursday, might be held in 4 phases — April April 15, April 19, April 26 and April 29. Polling will happen from 7 am to 6 pm in 18 districts. More than 3.33 lakh candidates within the fray in over 2.21 lakh seats within the first section for the posts of zila panchayat (district council) members, kshetra (block) panchayat members, village panchayat heads and wards. For zila panchayat members a complete of 11,442 candidates are within the fray 779 wards whereas 81,747 candidates are contesting in 19,313 wards of kshetra panchayats. There are 1,14,142 candidates for 14,789 posts for gram panchayat and 1,26,613 candidates for 1,86,583 seats for gram panchayat wards. The counting of votes will happen on May 2.
The combat for the polls consists of greater political events just like the BJP, BSP, Samajwadi Party and the Congress, and AIMIM, Aam Aadmi Party and Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad’s Azad Samaj Party, which is able to make their electoral debut. The candidates will, nevertheless, contest on ‘free symbols’ given by the Election Commission.
Candidates for the elections embrace Miss India 2015 contestant and mannequin Diksha Singh contesting for Zila panchayat put up from Ward 26 of Jaunpur and BJP MP and spouse of politician and homicide accused Dhananjay Singh from Ward 45 of Jaunpur. Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s niece Sandhya Yadav can also be within the fray and curiously has the backing of BJP for the Mainpuri panchayat seat. In a serious flip of occasion, BJP has withdrawn Sangeeta Sengar, spouse of former BJP MLA and Unnao rape accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar days after declaring her the official candidate.
Here’s the listing of districts that can go to polls in section 1:
Ayodhya
Agra
Kanpur
Ghaziabad
Gorakhpur
Jaunpur
Jhansi
Allahabad
Bareilly
Bhadohi
Mahoba
Rampur
Raebareli
Shravasti
Sant Kabir Nagar
(*18*)Saharanpur
Hardoi
Hathras
Congress has expressed confidence and mentioned the panchayat polls might be a “surprise” and can carry out “brilliantly.” “People who are virtually fed up with the misrule and misgovernance of the four-year-old BJP government in UP are looking towards the Congress with hope in their eyes,” mentioned social gathering spokesperson Ashok Singh. “The panchayat elections will unfurl the wave of change in the state.”
Citing the prime minister and chief minister’s efforts for the poor, BJP mentioned the saffron social gathering will “sweep” the panchayat polls. “The way in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have worked for the villagers, poor and farmers, it is evident that the BJP will sweep the panchayat polls,” mentioned BJP state media co-convenor Navin Srivastava.
Read all of the Latest News and Breaking News right here
