Assam Assembly polls: Voting to be held in over 33,000 booths, announces ECI

Byhindustantimes.com | Edited by Karan Manral

Updated on: Jan 20, 2021 03:16 PM IST

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Chief election commissioner Sunil Arora said that the maximum number of voters at a polling station has been reduced to 1,000, in view of Covid-19.

Chief election commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora, who is currently on a visit to poll-bound Assam, on Wednesday announced that in view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the maximum number of voters at a polling booth has been revised to 1,000, a reduction of 500. Accordingly, Arora further said, the number of polling stations for the forthcoming Assam assembly elections is likely to be more than 33,000.

“In view of Covid-19 social distancing norms, the Commission has specifically revisited some extant norms. As a result, the maximum number of electors at a polling station has been reduced from 1,500 to 1,000,” Arora announced at a press conference in Guwahati. “Accordingly for Assam, the number of polling stations would go up by about 5,000 and are likely to be more than 33,000 for the forthcoming elections,” he added.

Assam is among four states and a Union territory (UT) which will go to polls in April-May. These will be the first set of assembly elections since Bihar went to polls in October-November last year. The Bihar assembly elections were the first major electoral exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic under several special guidelines.

The CEC-led delegation arrived in Assam on a three-day visit on Monday. In a press note on Wednesday, the ECI noted that during its visit, the delegation conducted an in-depth review of the poll preparedness of Assam. It added that the delegation reviewed the poll preparedness with a host of officials and also met representatives of political parties.

“Main points raised by political parties included a request to the Commission to keep in view the dates for the Bihu festival while deciding election schedule,” the note said.

The northeastern state is currently under a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government, which came to power in 2016, defeating the-then Congress-led ruling alliance. Sarbananda Sonowal of the BJP is the incumbent chief minister.