Counting of votes for Assembly elections in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry and bypolls to two Lok Sabha constituencies and 18 Assembly seats will begin at 0800 hrs on Sunday amid strict COVID-19 protocols in place.
With the country battling the virulent second wave of Covid-19, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a notice of allowing no candidates or agents inside the counting hall without undergoing RT-PCR/RAT test or having two doses of vaccination against Covid-19.
The ECI has also banned public gatherings outside the counting venue and all victory processions and restricted the number of people accompanying winning candidates to collect their certificate of election from the Returning Officer to two.
