State Election Commission asks Ashok Gehlot government for report on covid-19 situation ahead of local body polls

New Delhi: The State Election Commission in Rajasthan has sought a detailed report on the coronavirus situation and a meeting with the state government on July 10 over conducting urban local body polls scheduled in the state in August.

129 urban local bodies in the state are scheduled to go to polls in August along with some Panchayati Raj institutions. However, the urban areas scheduled for elections, especially Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, and Bhilwara, are the ones most affected by the coronavirus pandemic. 4,450 wards of the state are supposed to go to polls in the 129 urban local bodies in 31 districts of the state. This has prompted the state election commission to write to the state government on July 2 seeking a report, which was submitted on Wednesday. The Home Secretary of the state, the Director General of Police, Health Secretary, and Urban Development Secretary will be now meeting the State Election Commissioner on July 10.

The Election Commission of India announced this week that it will allow those above the age of 65 and those under home or institutional quarantine to vote through postal ballots during the upcoming Bihar elections and Madhya Pradesh by-polls. This however does not cover local polls conducted by the state election commissions who need to devise their own mechanisms. Rajasthan election commission has updated the electoral roll for local body elections by practising social distancing like wearing masks and keeping a six-feet distance during a house-to-house survey over the last two months.

The report submitted by the Rajasthan government to the state EC, accessed by ET, detailed the coronavirus situation till July 7, saying 21,000 cases have been detected, 9.2 lakh people have been tested, 42 lakh people were screened for coronavirus symptoms and 465 people died. The report says maximum cases have been found in Jaipur (3595), Jodhpur (3087) and Bharatpur (1834) and nine other districts. The report says the worst-affected areas are Ramganj in Jaipur, Nagauri Gate and Udaymandir in Jodhpur, Basani in Nagaur, Mochi Mohalla in Ajmer, Chandraghata in Kota, Kasai Pada in Bharatpur, Bambor Gate in Tonk, Kanji and Ravji Ka Hata in Udaipur, Nimbaheda in Chittorgarh and Needamohalla in Pali.