NITI Aayog member and India's Covid Task Force chief VK Paul has told the Election Commission that the current Covid situation in the country is not feasible for large rallies and roadshows. He said such events should not be held. However, the Commission is of the view that political parties should stop such large-scale rallies and roadshows on their own, indicating that the poll body is unlikely to step in to put a stop to such events.

The EC had earlier asked the five poll-bound states — Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur — to prepare well for the Assembly elections and maximise their vaccination reach. But the rapidly spreading Omicron variant has sparked concerns over the conduct of elections at this time.

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