The Supreme Court on Saturday refused to stay the counting of votes for panchayat polls in Uttar Pradesh scheduled for Sunday.
In a special urgent hearing on a court holiday, a bench comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and Hrishikesh Roy passed the order after taking note of several notifications and assurances of the UP State Election Commission that Covid-19 protocols will be followed at the 829 counting centres in the state.
The apex court directed that there will be a strict curfew in the entire state during the counting of votes till Tuesday morning and no victory rallies will be permitted.