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Elections during a Pandemic Chapter 7

SVEEP outreach programmes underway in Tamil Nadu

In the midst of these elec ons, the Elec on Commission
witnessed a change of guard. On April 13, 2021, Sushil
Chandra assumed charge as the 24 Chief Elec on
Commissioner of India on superannua on of Sunil Arora.
Sushil Chandra had been serving as the Elec on
Commissioner since February 15, 2019.
West Bengal was now the only state le where elec ons
were s ll to conclude. As the state went in for the fourth
(April 10) and fi h phases (April 17) the COVID-19
scenario started turning grim in various parts of India.
The rela onship of this spike with elec ons was at best
tenuous. States that did not witness any elec on in the
recent past also experienced this surge. On April 16, the
Elec on Commission ordered curtailment of
campaigning for remaining phases. Thus campaigning
ended 72 hours before the polling. All kinds of rallies,
An elderly voter showing her inked finger, West Bengal roadshows and mee ngs between 7 pm and 10 am were

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