EC pushes ban on poll rallies, road shows till Jan 31
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India has for the third time extended the ban on physical rallies and road shows till January 31 in five poll-bound states, in wake of the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the country. However, it made exceptions for candidates contesting in the first and second phase of polls with a limit of 500 persons being imposed on public meetings.
The decisions were made on Saturday at a virtual review meeting, chaired by EC chief Sushil Chandra, held with the Secretary, Union Ministry of health and welfare.
The national poll body also held a series of virtual meetings with chief secretaries and chief electoral officers of Goa Manipur, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
Candidates in Uttar Pradesh, which will vote in the first phase, which begins on February 10, will be allowed physical meetings in designated open spaces with a maximum of 500 persons or 50% of the capacity of the ground, but only from January 28 to February 8.
“Since contesting candidates for Phase 1 elections will be finalised on January 27, 2022, Commission has decided to allow physical public meetings of political parties or contesting candidates in designated open spaces with a maximum of 500 persons or 50% of the capacity of the ground or the prescribed limit set by SDMA, whichever number is lesser, from January 28, 2022 till February 8 2022 (excluding the silence period),” the statement said.
Similar relaxations have also been issued for the second phase of the polls, which begins on February 14, which will be held in UP, Uttarakhand and Goa on February 14. The revised guidelines will be applicable for the
second phase candidates from February 1, 2022 till February 12, 2022 .
The election watchdog last week relaxed the norms a little and allowed indoor meetings of maximum 300 people or 50% capacity of the meeting hall or limits prescribed by the state disaster management authorities. The EC has also enhanced the limit for door-to-door campaign. Instead of five persons, now 10 persons, excluding security personnel, will be allowed for doorto-door campaign. “Commission
has also allowed video vans for publicity with usual Covid restrictions at designated open spaces with a maximum of 500 viewers or 50% of the capacity or the limit prescribed by SDMA, whichever is lesser, in the poll going States subject to public convenience and no hindrance to smooth flow of traffic,” the statement added.
The decision grant leeway for public gatherings has been taken after the Commission consulted the health departments and
SHAH
“If we have to maintain this law-and-order situation, end appeasement and the practice of governments to work for one caste and we have to develop the state under the leadership of PM Modi, then we have to once again help set up a majority BJP government under CM Yogi Adityanath,” Shah said.
“In west UP, elections begin on February 10. With folded hands, I want to appeal to all the voters of west UP that if due to Covid-19, our cadres are unable to reach you, all of you should go out to vote early to help set up a BJP government with a massive majority for the next five years,” he said.
He said this was necessary for all the hard work done by UP BJP government over the past five years and the efforts put in by PM Modi to better the lives of the people over the past seven years.
“In all of west UP, whether they are sugarcane farmers, labourers, the poor, traders or the middle class or those residing in Noida, all of them are saying one thing — “iss baar bhajapa phir 300 paar (this time BJP will again cross 300 seats).”
Shah said a new wave of development was witnessed since the BJP came to power.
“Many roads, airports, medical colleges. The poor got toilets, electricity and cooking gas, too, along with PM’s free medical insurance scheme. During the corona period, free vaccines and free ration were provided to the poor,” he said.
other officials across the Centre and the states. “Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra along with election commissioners Rajiv Kumar and Anup Chandra Pandey accompanied by Secretary General and concerned Deputy Election Commissioners held a comprehensive review of the present situation with respect to status and projected trends of Covid-19 pandemic in the five poll going states,” EC said in a press statement. “Commission also reviewed Vaccination status and action plan for expeditiously
completing vaccination for 1st, 2nd and booster dose for eligible persons amongst polling personnel. Commission deliberated on relaxing restrictions for physical rallies in the wake of prevailing situation.”
It said fresh instructions on campaigning will be issued after a review once the extended ban ends. Political parties, meanwhile, have been focusing on ramping up digital campaigns and events in keeping with the Commission’s guidelines.
Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday held a door to door campaign in Uttar Pradesh, even as Congress’ candidates for Goa took a pledge and visited several temples in the state.
The government also increased the expenditure limit for candidates last month to provide room to spend on virtual campaigns during the pandemic. The limit was raised by the Law Ministry to Rs 40 lakh in large states, up from the earlier Rs 30.8 lakhs, in keeping with EC’s recommendations.
The elections for five assemblies will be held in seven phases from February 10. The results will be declared on March 10, the commission announced last week. It earlier placed restrictions of meetings till January 22. Other containment measures include curbs on the number of vehicles accompanying a candidate for the submission of nomination, which will be restricted to two instead of five.
The Commission has allowed only 1,250 voters in each polling station instead of the usual 1,500. The number was capped at 1,000 for the previous two rounds of state elections. There will be mandatory sanitisation of polling stations and thermal checking of all those casting their vote. The commission is also running a pilot project to live-track overcrowding of voters at various poll booths to ensure safety norms are followed.
Covid patients and those who are quarantined will be allowed to cast their vote in the last hour of polling under the supervision of health authorities, the commission said.
Sector magistrates will coordinate this in their allocated polling stations and record of such electors shall be maintained by the presiding officer, it said. All electoral offences will be brought to the fore and not just Covid-related offences. All violations will be dealt with by the chief secretary or the chief of the state disaster management authority of the concerned state, he added.
Last year, the commission courted controversy throughout the eight-phase West Bengal election, beginning with the prolonged duration of polls to not conceding to the Opposition’s demands to club the last three phases in view of the alarming rise in Covid-19 cases. A police complaint was filed against the watchdog for culpable homicide by the wife of a Trinamool Congress candidate who died of Covid-19.