COVID-19: Indian court urges delay in state elections over Omicron fears

New Delhi: An Indian court urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to suspend political rallies and election campaigns in poll-bound states amid the rising number of Omicron cases, a variant of COVID-19.

Judges of the Allahabad High Court in the country’s most populous Uttar Pradesh (UP) state said the number of people infected with Omicron is on the rise and could result in a third wave of the COVID-19.

Elections to the state assembly in UP, home to over 220 million people, are scheduled for early next year but final dates are yet to declared. Three other states are also scheduled to hold local elections at the same time.

UP is a key battleground for Modi and opposition parties because of its size and because the performance of political parties there will be a barometer for the 2024 national elections.

Political parties, including Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, have started holding rallies and meetings where crowds continue to ignore pandemic protocols.

The judges said, if possible, the elections that are expected to be held in February next year be postponed by a couple of months.

“Jaan hai toh jahan hai (the world exists only if you are alive),” Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav said while hearing a petition for bail that he granted.

His comments on Covid-19 and the elections came after he observed that the court was very crowded.

“If possible, consider postponing the election, because rallies and meetings can be held later when we all survive,” he said.

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Centre’s initiatives towards ‘free vaccinations’ in a country with a huge population, the court also made similar requests to him.

“He is admirable, and the court admires him and requests the Prime Minister to take strict steps in view of the situation of this dreadful epidemic. Consider stopping and postponing rallies, meetings and upcoming elections.

“Our Constitution has given us the right to life under Article 21,” he said and directed that a copy of the order be sent to the Registrar General of the Allahabad High Court, ECI and the Central government.

Justice Yadav began by expressing concern over the rising number of Covid cases.

“In view of this growing menace, several countries, like China, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany and Scotland, have imposed partial or total lockdowns.

“The third wave is knocking at our door. We have seen the devastation in the second wave. Many people were infected during the panchayat polls and West Bengal elections. Now the Uttar Pradesj elections are round the corner. Parties are holding rallies attended by lakhs of people where it is impossible to follow Covid protocol. If this is not stopped in time, the results will be more devastating than the second wave.

“Election rallies of political parties should be banned to save the public from the third wave of corona. Parties should be asked to campaign through Doordarshan and newspapers,” he added.

India’s overall tally of the fast-spreading Omicron variant has reached 358 cases, across 17 states, authorities said on Friday, although no deaths have been reported so far.

Modi addressed large crowds in a Hindu pilgrimage city in UP on Thursday.

Earlier this year, his government had faced severe criticism for mishandling of the pandemic during the second wave that overran healthcare across the country. In all, India has recorded 34.8 million COVID cases and nearly 480,000 deaths.

Modi’s government has raced to inoculate all of the country’s 944 million adults and have given at least one dose to 88% of those.

And yet, millions are vulnerable to new infections, particularly in the vast hinterlands of states such as UP where healthcare is fragile.