[UP Panchayat Elections] Supreme Court to sit on Saturday to hear plea on COVID measures in place for vote counting

The Supreme Court will hold a special sitting on Saturday to hear a plea regarding measures in place for counting of votes in the Uttar Pradesh Panchayat elections. .A Bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and Hrishikesh Roy decided to hold special sitting on Saturday since the vote counting is scheduled for coming Sunday. The Court issued notice to the State Election Commission (SEC) and State of Uttar Pradesh and sought their response to the plea..The plea filed by Sachin Yadav, in fact, sought postponement of the elections but since the polling already concluded, the Court decided that it will consider the aspect of vote counting."What measures will the State Election Commission take for counting," the Bench asked. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati said that SEC is not before the Court. "We will issue notice in this IA. Let SEC come here and be served. We will keep this matter for tomorrow," the Court said. The Allahabad High Court had earlier declined to grant relief to the petitioner..The High Court had allowed the commencement of elections with a direction that necessary care as such shall be taken by the State to prevent spread of infection during the course of the elections..The High Court had also directed that the elections should be conducted in such manner that no congregation of people takes place.The led to the present appeal before the top court. .The petitioner contended that no COVID-19 protocols are being followed during the elections. It was contended that on the first day of polling on April 15, no safety measures were followed, as a consequence of which the lives of voters, officers on duty and others are at risk "It is also relevant to state here that already for the purpose of the nomination and campaigning and even voting there has been assembly huge number of people across the state in various villages violating the COVID protocol as laid by the State Government and Hon’ble Allahabad High Court," the petition said..It was also pointed out that the State of Uttar Pradesh is on the verge of collapse due to the pandemic."It is most respectfully submitted that the amid such a critical, grave and grim situation the UP State Election Commission bluntly has proceeded further with Gram Panchayat Raj Election in accordance with notification dated 26.03.2021 issued by the State Election Commission ignoring the risk of super spread of the virus and exposing the life of the general public," the petition stated. .Further, the petitioners referred to a report published on April 15 by medical journal Lancet, which has revealed that there is consistent, strong evidence that SARS-CoV-2 spreads by airborne transmission. The petitioners have also referred to an order of the Allahabad High Court, which issued various directions to the Uttar Pradesh government in view of rising COVID-19 cases. That order states,“We must give priority to public health over elections and Government is expected to streamline every department of public health and public care in the light of the observations made.".In light of these facts, the petition prays,"...the exercise of election amid prevailing circumstances when the COVID -19 cases are all time highest peak and the health and medical infrastructure is collapsing, elections will only act as super spreader of virus, spreading the Corona Virus beyond any imaginable numbers .Thus, it is most humbly prayed to postpone the election till the situation normalises in the public interest and public health which is the only option left to save the system and life of the people.".The petition has been filed through advocate Mohd Shaz Khan and Advocate-on-Record Talha Abdul Rahman.