Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra on Thursday said all political parties in Uttar Pradesh want the Assembly elections to be held according to schedule while ensuring Covid protocol. The number of polling booths will be enhanced and the voting time increased by an hour, he said. On a three-day visit to Lucknow to review preparations for the elections slated to be held early next year, Chandra held a series of meetings with representatives of different political parties as well as state and district-level officials. UP elections are due by mid-March when the term of the Yogi Adityanath government ends. Earlier, the Allahabad HC had suggested to the Centre defer the UP polls over Omicron fears.

The Allahabad High Court had on December 23 suggested the Central government defer the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections due to a possible Omicron-led third Covid wave. Chandra had said that an appropriate decision will be taken on the issue after his Uttar Pradesh visit. “I have been told that 86 per cent of the people in the state have got the first dose and 49 per cent the second shot of Covid vaccine... We have been assured that in 15 to 20 days all eligible people will get their first dose,” the chief election commissioner said on Thursday.