Poll strategist Prashant Kishor urges EC to ensure 80% people in poll-bound states are fully vaccinated
Prashant Kishor said that the Election Commission should ensure at least 80 percent vaccination in the electoral states. He said that at least 80 percent of the people in these states should be given both doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
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FollowIn the run up to Assembly polls in five states -- Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab, political strategist Prashant Kishor on Friday urged the Election Commission (EC) to demand an increase to speed up vaccination in these states even as political parties have cancelled rallies in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.
Prashant Kishor said that the Election Commission should ensure at least 80 percent vaccination in the electoral states. He said that at least 80 percent of the people in these states should be given both doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
In a tweet, Kishor said, “EC MUST insist on 2 vaccine doses for at least 80% people in poll-bound states. This is the only SAFE way to hold #elections in the midst of a raging pandemic. Rest everything is HOGWASH. The notion of guidelines for #Covid appropriate behaviour which no one follows is FARCICAL.”
This comes after the Election Commission on Thursday reviewed the current coronavirus situation in the five poll-bound states with Union Health Secretary, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria, and ICMR chief Dr Balram Bhargava.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, in his meeting with the ECI on Thursday, presented the overall global and domestic status of the spread of coronavirus, as well as Omicron, in the country and vaccination coverage in the five poll-bound states.
Details were also presented on the status of preparedness of the public health response within the states for control and management of the increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases, the statement said. The focus of the presentation was on poll-bound states and their neighbouring states, it added.
Earlier on Thursday, AAP decided to cancel its rallies in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh in view of the rising cases of Coronavirus. As per AAP leader Sanjay Singh, the party will instead hold virtual rallies in the state in the lead-up to the elections. This development also comes days after AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal tested COVID-positive.
Similarly, BJP has cancelled UP CM Yogi Adityanath's Noida visit and PM Modi's Lucknow rally which was scheduled to be attended by 10 lakh people. The PM’s rally will be held virtually now. Meanwhile, Congress has cancelled 7 to 8 marathons planned in Noida, Varanasi, and various other districts of the states after a stampede occurred in its ‘Ladki Hoonn Lad Sakti Hoon’ marathon at Bareilly. BJP's primary opposition - Samajwadi Party too cancelled party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s visit to Ayodhya on January 7.
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