(Image source from: Dnaindia.com)
This is the first major election to be held in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The government has issued certain guidelines to minimize the risk of the infection.
Bihar assembly elections are all set to be held from October 28 and the polling will be held in three phases. The elections will be held on October 28, November 3, and November 7.
The results of the elections will be announced on November 10. The news was announced by the election commission today.
This is the first major election to be held in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
The Chief election commissioner Sunil Arora announced the poll schedule for the 243-member Bihar assembly and this election will be one of the biggest elections to be held worldwide.
The election commissioner said that the world has changed significantly post the pandemic and the situation for the Bihar assembly election will be completely from the last election held for Delhi assembly and the COVID-19 pandemic has forced a new normal to everyone across the world.
Here are the guidelines that the election commission has introduced to minimize the risk of COVID-19 spread during the Bihar election:
● Polling hours have been increased by an hour and the voting time has been scheduled from 7 am to 6 pm instead of the usual time 7 am to 5 pm.
● COVID-19 patients and the suspected ones will be allowed to vote at the end of the day that too in the last hour when everyone’s left.
● Any type of physical contact has been prohibited during the polling.
● The facilities of postal ballots have been arranged to those who have crossed 80 years of age.
● Over 7 lakh hand sanitizers, 46 lakh masks, 6.7 lakh face shields, 6.4 lakh PPE kits, and 23 lakh pairs of hand gloves have been arranged for the Bihar polls.
● Only 3 people can visit a house at a time for campaigning.
● Only 5 cars will be allowed for the road shows of the candidate.
● Not more than 100 voters will be allowed inside the polling station.
● All the election meeting will be monitored by the election officials and also the health officials. Public gatherings can take place following the social distancing and maintaining at least 6 feet distance under tough situations too.
- By Gayatri Yellayi
