The Supreme Court on Saturday asked the Election Commission to delay the counting of votes for the Uttar Pradesh local body elections in v...
The Supreme Court on Saturday asked the Election Commission to delay the counting of votes for the Uttar Pradesh local body elections in view of the worsening coronavirus situation, NDTV reported.
Polling for the four-phased panchayat elections in the state ended on April 29. Votes will be counted on Sunday.
“Despite the situation, you need to go ahead?” the court asked. “Can you have it after two weeks so that medical facilities can be improved? Heavens will not fall if counting is deferred by three weeks.”
The Uttar Pradesh Election Commission, however, refused to make any changes to the schedule. “We have taken a decision to go ahead,” it told the Supreme Court.
The hearing came days after the a teachers’ unions in Uttar Pradesh said that 577 educators and support staff had died while on poll duty during panchayat elections. The union submitted to the state election commission a list of the teachers from 71 districts who died during the elections held amid the massive second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
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