Supreme Court allows counting of votes in UP Panchayat polls

The four-phase panchayat polls in Uttar Pradesh ended on Thursday and the counting is scheduled to begin from Sunday morning, May 2.

"We reject the request for deferring the counting by recording the submissions of the SEC that all protocols will be observed in letter and spirit," a division bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and Hrishikesh Roy said.

The Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) had on Friday issued strict norms for the counting process.

State Election Commissioner Manoj Kumar on Friday said that action would be initiated under the Calamity Management Act, 2005, against anyone found violating Covid safety norms during counting of votes.

During today's hearing, the petitioner's advocate averred that the counting centres can turn into 'beds of infections' following a huge rush of the people. He also informed the Court about the apprehensions expressed by some teachers over performing the election duty amid surge in Covid cases.

Pertinent to mention here that the officer bearers of the Uttar Pradesh Prathmik Shikshak Sangh, a federation of basic and secondary school teachers of the state, have claimed that so far 706 teachers died after getting infected during election duty.

In a letter to the Election Commission, they also demanded postponement of counting of votes. The Sangh also released a list of teachers who fell victim to Covid-19 while getting infected during the election duty. Only in Lucknow division, 115 teachers have succumbed to the virus, the Sangh claimed.

The SEC, meanwhile, has passed an order that the counting agents and the candidates will have to possess a negative report of Covid-19 for their entry inside the counting centres. Besides, all the counting centres will have medical help desk and everyone would be checked of their temperature before entering a counting centre.