With four states and one Union Territory gearing up to count votes cast during the recently concluded Assembly elections, the Election Commission on Wednesday said that no candidate or agent will be allowed to enter counting centres without a negative RT-PCR test report or a vaccination certificate.
While the last phase of the Assembly elections in West Bengal will be held on Thursday, voters in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry and Assam cast their ballots on April 6 to elect their MLAs. Counting of votes in these states and UT will be held on May 2.
The EC, in its latest guidelines also said that no public gathering outside counting centres will be allowed.
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"No candidates or agents will be allowed inside the counting hall without undergoing RT-PCR/RAT test or without having two doses of vaccination against Covid-19 and will have to produce negative RT-PCR report or RAT report or vaccination reports within 48 hours of start of counting," the EC guideline read.
Counting will begin at 8 am on May 2.
(With PTI inputs)
