Uttarakhand HC asks Election Comission if virtual rallies, online voting viable options
The Hindu
PIL filed seeking postponement of elections; High Court asks EC to think about alternative methods
The Uttarakhand High Court has asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) whether it is possible to hold election rallies virtually and online voting in the upcoming State Assembly polls.
A Division Bench of the High Court comprising acting Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar Misra and Justice N.S. Dhanik posed the question to the EC while hearing a PIL on January 5 seeking postponement of the upcoming Assembly polls in Uttarakhand in view of the rising cases of COVID-19 and its latest variant Omicron. Besides asking the EC to explore whether it is possible to hold poll rallies virtually, the High Court also asked it whether it would also be possible to provide for online method of voting.
It was claimed in the PIL that election rallies are being held in Uttarakhand even though an application is pending before the court relating to finding an alternative to these rallies or to ban them, if need be.