The Election Commission has banned victory procession on the counting day.
The Election Commission, slammed by the Madras High Court over its handling of elections amid the second Covid wave that's ravaging the country, today said it is the responsibility of the state governments and not the Commission to enforce safety measures. The Commission said it would inform the court about the steps it has taken for free, fair and safe election.
The commission said it had notified the state Disaster Management Authorities to ensure Covid protocols are observed at public gatherings. The poll panel cannot take over the task of the State Disaster Management Authority, it added.
"Enforcement of Covid-19 measures is the responsibility assigned to the state Disaster Management Authority (like lockdown, restriction/curtailment on public gatherings etc.) and its officers under the Disaster Management Act 2005," the Election Commission said in a statement today.
"The State Disaster Management Authority did not stop public gatherings... Whatever was prescribed, EC directed all to adhere to it... EC continuously directed the state/district authorities to enforce the extant instructions of the NDMA/SDMA," the statement read.
On Monday, the court had said the Election Commission was "singularly responsible for the second wave of Covid". "Your officers should be booked on murder charges probably," the court had observed.
The stinging criticism came amid concerns flagged by many about crowded election rallies in five states -- where safety rules were rampantly ignored -- turning into Covid super spreader events.
Covid cases have shot up in the states where elections have been held, pushing the countrywide daily figures to over 3 lakh for the last few days. Bengal still has one more round to go, although on Thursday, the Commission ordered restrictions on campaign.
The Madras High Court threatened to stop the counting of votes on Sunday if a "blueprint" is not in place.
The Election Commission today said the statements attributed to the High Court by the media did not find mention in the court's final order.
The Commission also said it has ordered that no victory procession be held on the counting day and only two persons be allowed to accompany the winning candidate to receive the certificate from election officials.