Shabbir Ali urges SEC to postpone municipal polls in view of a surge in Covid-19

HYDERABAD: Former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir of the Congress has urged the

Telangana State Election Commission

(

TSEC

) to postpone the elections to seven urban local bodies (ULBs) including Greater Warangal and Khammam municipal corporations, and nine casual vacancies in other civic bodies in view of the worsening Covid-19 situation.

In a letter to state election commissioner C Partha Sarathi on Sunday, Shabbir Ali said

Covid-19 cases

were increasing at an alarming rate in the poll-bound districts of Warangal, Khammam, Siddipet, Nagarkurnool, Mahbubnagar among others.

While the entire country is finding ways to minimise the damage due to the second wave of Covid-19, it would be highly inappropriate for the Telangana State Election Commission to hold polls at this juncture.

“It will be like exposing 11,26,221 voters and their families in seven ULBs to the risk of getting infected with Covid-19. Further, about 9,000 polling staff and thousands of security personnel, who will be deployed for poll duties, too would be directly exposed to the Covid-19 infection. Therefore, in view of public safety, we request you to kindly postpone the elections on an immediate basis," Shabbir Ali said.

The state government has cancelled the SSC exams and promoted Intermediate first year students while postponing the intermediate second-year exams. Many national events including the historic Kumbh Mela have been wound up in 13 days before its actual schedule. Since the municipal elections will involve intense electioneering by all political parties and candidates by way of public meetings, rallies and other gatherings, the common people will face the risk of getting Covid-19 infection. Even door-to-door campaigning will not be safe as many asymptomatic people may move freely in these districts as super-spreaders, Shabbir Ali said in his letter to Paratha Sarathi.