Gandhinagar, Aug 3 (IANS): The Gujarat State Election Commission (SEC) has decided to hold elections of the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation, Okha municipality and Tharad municipality after the monsoon season is over in the state.

In a letter issued on Monday, the Commission also decided to hold the midterm elections and bypolls on various vacant seats of different municipal corporations, municipalities, district panchayats and Tehsil panchayats after the monsoon season.

Due to the possibility of heavy rains, seasonal diseases and also the ongoing Covid pandemic, the SEC thought it fit not to hold the elections at present. The SEC held consultations with the health department on July 30 and the order was issued on Monday.

The state election commissioner Sanjay Prasad had earlier decided to hold off the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) elections slated for April 18, considering representations by various parties, organisations and looking at the situation of Corona havoc.

"A lot of people from the political parties and also the government will be exposed to the virus, if the elections are carried out. The SEC doesn't see it fit to undermine the health of so many people during the long process of the elections," Sanjay Prasad observed in his earlier order.