BHUBANESWAR: Uncertainty looms over conduct of the panchayat elections in the State owing to the rapid build-up of the Covid third wave.
The State Election Commission (SEC) will discuss the situation with all the political parties at the all-party meeting scheduled on January 10.
Besides, the decision of the Election Commission on elections in Uttar Pradesh and other states slated to be held in February and March will also have a bearing on whether panchayat polls will be held in Odisha.
Taking the surge in Omicron cases in the State into consideration, Opposition Congress has proposed to postpone the elections, while BJP maintained that the party will go by the decision of the State government in this regard.
"The Covid numbers may peak in February. If the cases soar, election should be postponed as Covid appropriate behaviour cannot be followed during the casting of votes," president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Niranjan Patnaik said.
Stating that safety of people is the priority of the BJP, State general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan said that the party will accept the decision of the State government or the SEC in this regard.
The BJD, however, maintained that the panchayat election should be held in time but with priority on safety of people.
"Life and livelihood are our party’s priority. Like the first two waves, we are confident to defeat the third wave too," BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said.