The health department has advised for the postponement of the much awaited local body elections to the Panchayat and Municipal council, which have been pending for the last one year. During the all-party meeting, held on Wednesday by the State Election Commission (SEC), to discuss the issue of conducting elections in the wake of the threat of the Covid-19, a majority of political parties agreed with the suggestion of the health department. This a good sign and all the parties deserve appreciation for putting the issue of health above politics. Until the situation normalizes, the SEC should postpone the election.
There will be some amount of resentment, especially among the grass root political workers who have been patiently waiting for the local body elections. They will want the election to go ahead, but the government and SEC should take decision in the larger interest of the nation. Today, the Covid-19 has become a global pandemic. Countries across the world are struggling hard to stop it from further spreading. The world’s most developed continent, Europe is battling to contain the spread of this deadly virus. So far, in India, the number of infected persons is low, but no chance can be taken. The nation is going to observe complete shutdown on Sunday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced it in a televised address. The people of Arunachal will also have to play their part in the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic. The postponement of local body elections will be one of the major contributions in this regard.