Govt modifies COVID-19 guidelines, allows political gatherings with immediate effect in election-bound states

The Home Ministry has modified COVID-19 guidelines for 12 election-bound states and allowed political gatherings outside containment zones with immediate effect. Political gatherings can take place before October 15, provided people wear a face mask and maintain social distancing. The relaxation is limited to only those Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies where elections are to be held.

The announcement will have an impact on Bihar’s electoral preparations as large gatherings were not allowed under the Covid-19 preventative rules due to which political parties could not hold electoral rallies and gatherings.

Apart from Bihar, the other states where elections (bypolls) are scheduled to be held are Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Haryana, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Nagaland and Odisha. Poll preparations are underway for the bypoll elections in Madhya Pradesh which are being contested on 28 seats.

Bihar will vote in three phases - the first phase of voting will be held on October 28, November 3, and November 7. The results of the election will be declared on November 10. The voting for 28 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh will be held in November 3 and the results will be announced on November 10.

Bihar will also be among the first Indian states where the polls will be held under the shadow of the pandemic. The Delhi Assembly Elections were also held when the coronavirus pandemic was spreading in China and Italy but it had not impacted India largely during those months. Other countries which held elections amid Covid-19 are Korea, Belarus, Israel, Hong Kong and Poland. United States will also contest presidential elections on November 2020.