Assembly polls: EC bans victory processions on vote count day
The poll body has faced criticism for rampant violation of Covid-19 protocol in campaigning and the 34-day-long election season
NEW DELHI: The election commission (EC) on Tuesday banned victory processions on or after the counting of votes for assembly elections in four states and a Union Territory on May 2 and limited the number of people accompanying a victorious candidate to two, a day after Madras high court blamed the poll panel for the current surge of coronavirus infections across India.
In a letter, EC said it issued broad guidelines on August 21 last year to conduct elections during Covid-19, after receiving suggestions from national and state-based political parties. The Covid-19 related provisions for counting of votes on May 2 are in accordance with the August 21 guidelines.
Results of assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry will be announced on May 2.
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday banned victory processions on or after the counting of votes for assembly elections in four states and a Union territory on May 2, and limited the number of people accompanying a victorious candidate to two, a day after Madras high court blamed the poll panel for the current surge of coronavirus infections across India.
In a letter, ECI said it issued broad guidelines on August 21 last year to conduct elections during Covid-19, after receiving suggestions from national and statebased political parties. The Covid-19 related provisions for counting of votes on May 2 are in accordance with the August 21 guidelines.
“No victory procession after the counting on 2.5.2021 [May 2, 2021] shall be permissible. Not more than two persons shall be allowed to accompany the winning candidate or his/her authorized representative receive the certificate of election from the Returning Officer concerned,” the ECI letter said, signed by Sumit Mukherjee, the panel’s senior public relations secretary.
Results of assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry will be announced on May 2. The ECI has faced criticism from health experts and the judiciary for rampant violation of Covid-19 protocol in campaigning and the 34-daylong election season, especially in Bengal, where daily infections have zoomed 75 times since polls were announced on February 26.
The poll body has issued guidelines from time to time but steered clear of booking any leader or political party for violation of norms. It has, however, issued multiple show cause notices and filed over 70 FIRs for violation of Covid-19 protocol.
ECI has also come under fire for staggering the Bengal elections across eight phases and not merging the latter rounds even in the face of rising infections and deaths.
On Monday, the Madras high court warned that it could even stall the counting of votes unless ECI produced a Covid-19 protocol blueprint on April 30. The court said at no cost can counting be allowed to become a catalyst for further cases. “It is only when a citizen survives that he’ll be able to enjoy the rights that a democratic republic guarantees,” the court said, noting that face masks and sanitisers were not used, and no social distancing was maintained during campaigning. This came days after similar criticism by the Calcutta high court last week.
On Tuesday, the EC defended itself and said enforcing provisions of the law to fight the pandemic was the responsibility of state disaster management bodies. The commission also asserted that it continuously directed authorities to enforce instructions of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
In a statement, ECI said it completed last year’s Bihar elections successfully under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 “The enforcement under the 2005 Act has to be ensured by the concerned SDMA [state disaster management authority] and notified authorities under the act. The commission has always emphasised in its August 21, 2020 and all subsequent instructions that the state authorities shall ensure Covid (norms) compliance in the matter of public gatherings for campaign purposes,” it said. ECI pointed out that it reiterated its instructions on February 26, while announcing the polls.
In the statement, ECI drew attention to submissions made before different high courts.
“These submissions... found favour in the orders of these courts. Hon’ble High Court Calcutta, taking all these legal frameworks in view, on 23.4.2021 ordered — There is no way for any department or institution of governance to excuse itself from obeying the commands of the Election Commission of India and not complying and cooperating with the Election Commission of India’s directions. This shall be taken as part of the mandatory command of this court in support of what the Election Commission is carrying forward,” ECI said.
It added that the Madhya Pradesh high court on Monday dismissed a petition concerning poll on April 6 for being infructuous and the Kerala high court expressed satisfaction on Tuesday with safety measures put in place by ECI and state government for counting of votes.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Jagat Prakash Nadda welcomed ECI’s order. “I have directed all state units of BJP to strictly adhere to this decision. All karykartas [workers] of BJP are using their energies to help the ones in need in this hour of crisis,” Nadda said.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha member Saugata Roy said, “The EC’s action comes too late. It did nothing till the sixth phase of polling. In the current situation, no party should celebrate victory on the streets. Let us see whether the order is adhered to.” Communist Party of India (Marxist) politburo member Md Salim also accused the EC of acting late. “The action is too little and too late. The EC failed to take any action when Narendra Modi and Amit Shah were in campaign mode and its role as an independent organisation came under question. Now it is trying to make up. Clearly, there is lack of leadership and foresight.”
Jagdeep Chhokar of the Association of Democratic Reforms said ECI’s move came far too late and would achieve very little. “The commission should have ensured that the protocols were followed far more sternly,” he said.