Corona effect: Mirror booth set up to counter COVID-19 threat
Ranchi: Jharkhand legislators will be participating in Rajya Sabha elections going to take place tomorrow. As many as 79 of them will be electing two MPs for the upper house. The polling will begin at 9 am. All preparations for the election are over.
As per the directive of the Election Commission, two booths have been set up. One of them will be a mirror booth which would be used by COVID-19 positive or suspects, sources said.
Sources said all legislators will be required to maintain physical distancing as per ECI directive. The voters will be allowed entry only after being sanitized at the entry point.
Returning Officer Mahendra Prasad said only two voters at a time would be allowed to enter the polling booth set up below the west wing of Jharkhand Assembly. A waiting room has been set up outside. Tight security arrangements have been made for the polling, he said.
There are three candidates in fray for the two RS seats. They include former CM and JMM supremo Sibu Soren, state BJP president Deepak Prakash and Congress leader Shahzada Anwar.
Deepak Prakash claims to enjoy the support of Independent MLA from Jamshedpur East Saryu Roy and two AJSU MLAs. He appears to be in a better position than his Congress rival. Sibu Soren seems headed for a sure victory. Congress candidate too, hopes to fetch the magic numbers.
The polls will continue till 4 pm. Counting of votes will take place at 5 pm. Representatives of all three candidates would be allowed inside the counting venue.
RS Poll Observer Rahul Purwar reviewed the poll preparations and expressed hope that the polls would be conducted in a peaceful and smooth manner.
