An Indian court has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to suspend political rallies and elections campaigns in poll-bound states amid the rising number of Omicron cases, a variant of COVID-19. On Thursday, judges of the Allahabad High Court in the country’s most populous Uttar Pradesh (UP) stated that the number of people infected with Omicron is on the rise and could result in a third wave of the coronavirus.
Elections to the state assembly in UP, home to over 220 million people, are scheduled for early next year but final dates are yet to be declared. Three other states are also scheduled to hold local elections at the same time. UP is a key battleground for Modi and opposition parties because of its size and because the performance of political parties there will be a barometer for the 2024 national elections.
Political parties, including Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, have started holding rallies and meetings where crowds continue to ignore pandemic protocols. The judges stated that, if possible, the elections that are expected to held in February next year be postponed by a couple of months. They stated, “The court requests the honourable prime minister that looking at the situation of this frightening pandemic, to take strong steps and to stop rallies, gatherings and cancel or postpone (the) upcoming election.”
