Kolkata, April 28 (TIWN) Considering the alarming spike in the number of Covid cases in the country, the Election Commission of India has made it mandatory that no candidate/agent will be allowed inside the counting centres without undergoing RT-PCR/RAT test or without having taken two doses of vaccine against Covid-19.

 The results of the Assembly elections held in five states/UT — West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry — will be announced on May 2. Polls have been completed in all the states barring Bengal, where the eighth and final phase of elections will be conducted on Thursday (April 29).  The EC said in its guidelines, “No candidates/agents will be allowed inside the counting hall without undergoing RT-PCR/RAT test or without having 2 doses of vaccination against Covid-19 and will have to produce negative RT-PCR report or RAT report and vaccination report within 48 hours of start of counting. 

“The DEO shall make arrangements of RT-PCR/RAT tests for candidates/counting agents before the day of counting. No public gathering outside the counting venue shall be allowed during the process of counting.”