With an aim to conduct free, safe and fair elections, the Election Commission ( EC) on Friday asked observers, who will be deployed for assembly polls in five states, to be visible, accessible, neutral and ethical while functioning as the eyes and ears of the poll body. The poll body will meet on Saturday to decide whether to continue with its ban on physical election rallies, road shows and pad yatras as the COVID-19 cases on Thursday crossed over 2.66 lakh cases in a day.During the briefings, observers are given comprehensive inputs about various aspects of election management by senior officials of the EC. Over 1,400 officials attended the briefing, with 140 officials attending it in person and the rest connecting virtually. In his address on Friday, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra also told expenditure observers to sharpen their skills and be innovative in countering newer methods being used to induce voters. Chandra made these remarks while addressing general, police and expenditure observers to be deployed in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur during the elections. Chandra asked the observers to work in coordination with enforcement agencies. This is the first briefing of the commission to the senior officers, who have been deployed in the forthcoming elections.Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar cautioned that even stray instances of human errors by polling personnel abd non-compliance of Covid protocols at polling material distribution centres can create a "deviant narrative and derail the smooth conduct of elections". According to an EC statement, Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey, while acknowledging that conducting elections amidst COVID-19 was a challenging task, exhorted the designated observers to ensure that a level-playing field is maintained for all political parties and candidates. Officers drawn from IAS, IPS, IRS and other accounts services across the country are deployed as general, police and expenditure observers. Kumar reminded the observers that they are always under strict and microscopic scrutiny by stakeholders and thus should be careful and discreet about their own behaviour and conduct during the election process.He said observers are representatives of the commission and must be acutely aware and cognisant of this sacred and onerous duty entrusted upon them.