Lucknow, May 1(UNI) After the Supreme court's approval, the Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) has geared up for the crucial counting of votes for the three-tier panchayat polls under strict Covid-19 guidelines on Sunday morning.
Elections for 58,189 village panchayats of Uttar Pradesh took place in four phases, between April 15 and 29, with polling percentage ranging between 72 to 75 per cent .
The counting of votes will be taken up at around 800 centres from 0800 hrs on May 2. A total of over 12 crore voters were eligible in this elections termed as the biggest rural polls of the world.
Counting of votes for 2.40 lakh posts would be held when the counting personnel would be called in an eight- hour shift.
The counting of ballot papers would be done separately first of gram panchayat members, then gram pradhan , then Block Development Council (BDC) members and lastlý of the District Development Council(DDC) members.
This panchayat polls are being termed as a semi final before the 2022 Assembly polls in the state. Though political parties have fielded their candidates but there were no symbol used of the parties in this polls.
The polls will be a key test of the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government’s popularity, and an opportunity for opposition parties to gauge the public mood, particularly as they come against the backdrop of persisting farmers’ protests in the country that have also gripped parts of UP.
Though the Supreme Court has given go ahead to the government of the counting of ballot papers of the panchayat polls but announcement of boycott by the teachers and state government employees associations could hamper the process and delay the announcement of the results.
However, the court allowed the process of counting of votes of Panchayat polls tomorrow while taking into note the assurance given by the State Election Commission that necessary measures will take place at counting centers in terms of COVID 19 guidelines.
It court also directed the state to impose curfew till counting continues in the centers. No victory rallies to take place, the court added.
The Election Commission ensured the Supreme Court during the beginning of the hearing that all the Covid protocols will be followed during the counting process, oximeter tests will be done at the entrance of counting centres, no crowds will be allowed inside the counting centres and outside, centres will be sanitised after every shift, social distancing will be maintained and thermal checking will be done.
The SEC has already passed an order that all the counting agents and the candidates will have to possess negative report of Covid for their entry inside the counting centres.
Besides, all the counting centres will have medical help desk and everyone would be checked of their temperature before giving entry inside the counting centres.
State Election Commissioner Manoj Kumar said here on Saturday that action would be initiated under the Calamity Management Act, 2005, against anyone found violating Covid safety norms during counting of votes.
Teachers and state government employees Associations have claimed that over several hundred of the teachers and state employees and their family members have died due to Corona when they were engaged in election duties.
These associations had demanded postponement of the counting by a fortnight.
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