Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora on Friday (February 26) announced the election dates for the four poll-bound states – West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and one Union Territory of Puducherry. He said that the Bihar Assembly polls held last year in November amid the COVID-19 pandemic was a watershed moment and proved to be a litmus test for the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Addressing media persons Arora said, “In the thick of the pandemic, ECI started test trials with elections of 18 seats to Rajya Sabha. After that, came the challenge of the Bihar elections, it was indeed a watershed moment for ECI. It proved to be a litmus test. Voting turnout was 57.34 per cent exceeding the 2015 Assembly polls and 2019 Lok Sabha polls in the state.”
He applauded the frontline workers, healthcare workers and ECI officials for performing election duty during the COVID times last year. All poll officials will be vaccinated against Covid-19 before…