Virtual rallies are being planned by BJP: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Wednesday that the BJP is prepared to hold virtual rallies, even as the Election Commission (EC) has yet to confirm the holding of assembly elections in the five states.

EC will decide guidelines for election rallies, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will adhere to them, Shekhawat told the media.

"The BJP is ready for virtual rallies. We held virtual rallies in West Bengal assembly polls. During the first and second wave of Covid when all the political parties went into hibernation, the BJP was active at booth level through virtual platforms," he said.

In his words, EC is responsible for conducting an election, and the poll body keeps in touch with the health secretary and experts on the issue. Elections for the state legislature are scheduled for February-March of next year in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa, and Manipur.

"The Union government has not issued any new guidelines but many states have done it on their own. Channi may be pointing towards AAP and Arvind Kejriwal. Delhi government has issued yellow alerts and closed schools and colleges but Kerjiwal is doing rallies in Punjab," he said.