Panchayat Polls From Tomorrow: Odisha BJP Appeals To SEC To Relax COVID Restrictions For Polling Agents

Bhubaneswar: A day before the first phase elections to panchayati raj institutions in the state, the BJP has demanded before the State Election Commission (SEC) to relax the COVID restrictions for polling agents and booth agents.

State BJP spokesperson Sonali Sahu, in a release, stated that the state government has been following double standards in enforcing the COVID restrictions in the panchayat elections.

She said while announcing the panchayat election dates, the SEC had clamped strict guidelines for all phases, from campaigning to counting of votes. Later, the Commission relaxed the norms with COVID cases coming down sharply in the state.

The government also opened educational institutions for physical classes of the students and religious places to the devotees. But the COVID restrictions continue to remain in force for polling agents and booth agents, Sahu said.

Stating that the SEC norm of mandatory RT-PCR test report for polling and booth agents reflects the lopsided policy of the government, she said it would affect smooth conduct of the elections.

Sahu further said considering these factors, the BJP has appealed to the SEC, in a memorandum, to relax the restrictions for the polling and booth agents in the elections which would start from Wednesday.