The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday issued revised guidelines for the pre-elections scenario in the five states that are scheduled to go into elections in February and March.
The five states that are going into Assembly elections are Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Punjab and Uttarakhand.
Results of all five states' votes will be declared on 10 March, 2022.
Citing the spike in coronavirus cases the ECI had earlier banned public rallies by political parties till 15 January. However, seeing no decline in the number of Covid cases in these states, the government agency issued fresh guidelines.
Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra on 9 January had announced the that the voting in UP will take place in seven phases starting from 10 February, voting in Manipur will take place in two phases starting from 27 February, while Uttarakhand and Goa elections will be conducted in a single phase on 14 February.
The election agency had also postponed the elections date in Punjab to 20 February, instead of 14 February citing surge in Covid-19 cases.
In Saturday's meeting, the Election Commission also reviewed the vaccination status and action plan for expeditiously completing vaccination for 1st, 2nd and booster dose for eligible persons amongst polling personnel in the states that are slated to vote for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Read below for details on the guidelines:
-The top elections agency has extended the ban on physical rallies by political parties till 31 January
-ECI said that relaxation for Physical public meetings of political parties or contesting candidates for Phase 1 allowed from 28 January and for phase 2 candidates and political parties from 1 February
-The limit on number of persons allowed for the door-to-door campaign has been increased to 10 from 5
-The voting agency also permitted video vans, at designated open spaces following Covid Appropriate Behaviour, for publicity ahead of the upcoming elections
-The ECI has allowed physical meetings of concerned political parties or contesting candidates for Phase 1 elections 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 28 January till 8 February (excluding the silence period)
-For phase 2 elections , the ECI has allowed the same from 1 February till 12 February (excluding the silence period)
-The voting agency has directed the political parties and contesting candidates to also ensure that compliance of Covid appropriate behaviour and guidelines and Model Code of Conduct
-It shall be the responsibility of the DEO concerned to identify and to notify the designated spaces in advance for the aforesaid purposes
-The agency also specified that all remaining restrictions as contained in the Revised Broad Guidelines for Conduct of Elections, 2022 issued on January 8, 2022 shall continue to operate
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