For the approaching assembly elections, the Election Commission has extended the prohibition on physical demonstrations and public meetings for another week, until January 22, in the wake of the resurgent COVID-19 outbreak, driven primarily by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
The commission had earlier prohibited rallies till January 15 for the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa, and Manipur, which will take place next month.
However, the Commission has allowed some concessions, which include permission for holding indoor meetings of a maximum of 300 persons or 50% of the capacity of the hall. The EC has instructed all political parties to abide by the provisions of MCC and the broad guidelines of Covid.
In light of the mounting Covid-19 instances, the Election Commission met with the Union Health Secretary on Saturday to decide whether to prolong the prohibition on public rallies in five poll-bound states.
Election Commission bans physical public rallies, political roadshow amidst surging COVID-19 cases
Because of the rising number of instances of coronavirus infection in the country, the Commission banned all sorts of demonstrations until January 15, and only virtual campaigns were allowed. Political parties are prohibited from organizing any padayatra, cycle ride, or roadshow, according to the Election Commission’s instructions. The commission has recommended political parties to use digital media to promote.
ECI recommended political parties and candidates to conduct their campaigns as much as feasible through digital, virtual, media platforms, or mobile-based mode rather than physical mode during a press conference on January 8th, maintaining strict compliance with COVID safety requirements.
The ECI also instructed the District Election Officer to select designated public gathering sites with well-defined access and exit points. It further said that the District Election Officer should ensure that meeting/rally organizers establish markers for social distance standards in advance.
All election officials must have three doses of vaccine, according to the election commission. In addition, the Election Commission has issued guidelines for the number of vehicles in a convoy, the distance between two vehicles, the maximum number of people in a group for door-to-door campaigning, a code of conduct for victory celebrations, and polling station arrangements, among other things.
Despite the fact that the Election Commission has issued several warnings, various political parties, including the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, have been witnessed flouting all rules.