Poll panel to visit UP, take appropriate decision: CEC on HC suggestion to defer poll amid Omicron scare

A day after the Allahabad High Court suggested deferring the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections due to a possible Omicron-led third Covid wave, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra on Friday said an appropriate decision will be taken on the issue after his UP visit next week.

A bench of Justice Shekhar Yadav had on Thursday urged the government and the poll panel to consider postponing the UP assembly elections for a month or two and banning all political rallies amid the fears of an impending third wave of Covid.

"I will be visiting UP next week. An appropriate decision as required by the situation will be taken after we review it," CEC Chandra told reporters here in reply to a question on the high court's observation.

The CEC was asked whether deferment of polls was possible as the Allahabad High Court had expressed concern over the rising cases of the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus.

On Uttarakhand situation, Chandra said he had asked Chief Secretary SS Sandhu about Omicron cases in the state and was told that there was only one case of the latest variant of COVID-19 in the state.

The CEC also spoke of various safeguards taken by the commission due to Covid but sought to assure that whatever is required will be done as per the "Constitutional position" to check the spread of the virus.