Unanimity elusive as Congress, NPP, PPA say will be unwise amid pandemic

ES Reporter

ITANAGAR, Nov 10: State Election Commission (SEC) today convened a meeting with the representatives of all political parties in the state to take their respective views on the proposed Municipal and Panchayat elections. 
Addressing representatives from the BJP, Congress, RPI, NPP, PPA and JDU who attended the meeting, SEC Secretary, Nyali Ete informed that the Commission is fully geared-up to initiate the elections within this year. “We have consulted with the health officials and are also prepared to implement all COVID-19 SOPs,” he informed, adding that the election process for both Municipal bodies and Panchayats is pending since 2018. 
“Today’s meeting was intended to take the views of the state’s political parties and all the representatives have placed their viewpoints  based on which the SEC will shortly announce its decision,” the Secretary stated. Ete further added that waiting for the pandemic to get over or for a vaccine’s arrival can’t linger forever and a decision to conduct the elections as soon as possible needs to be taken.
However, several political party representatives have expressed reservation over holding the polls in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We cannot take a risk amid the prevailing pandemic, so we have suggested the Commission to defer the elections after the next budget session," President, People's Party of Arunachal Khafa Bengia said.
 Speaking to the media, NPP State Working President Pani Taram informed that his party has also suggested the Commission to defer the elections, adding however that they will participate as per the SEC’s schedule.
General Secretary, Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Toko Mina questioned the Commission for initiating the election process hurriedly at a time when the pandemic situation is in the worst condition in the state. “There are lots of cases against the Commission pending in the court for delaying the elections and although they didn’t pay heed regarding the demand, it’s incomprehensible why this sudden haste,” Mina slammed the SEC while appealing for a postponement of the elections for next year.
Among others, President of the state unit of Republican Party of India (RPI) Talar Phassang, Janata Dal-United youth wing President Sanjay Dolo attended the meeting.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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