E-Paper
328 in fray for 13 LS seats in Punjab
Punjab chief electoral officer Sibin C says 466 candidates had filed 598 nominations for the June 1 elections in the state. After the scrutiny and withdrawal of papers, the total number of candidates has come down to 328, including 302 male and 26 female.
A total of 328 candidates are left in the race for the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab with 25 candidates withdrawing their nominations, Punjab chief electoral officer Sibin C said on Friday.
The CEO said 466 candidates had filed 598 nominations for the June 1 elections in the state. After the scrutiny and withdrawal of papers, the total number of candidates has come down to 328, including 302 male and 26 female. There were 253 candidates in the 2014 parliamentary elections and 278 in 2019 polls, he said in a statement on the last day for withdrawal of nomination papers.
Sibin said the Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat has the highest number of candidates, with 43 in the fray. He urged all political parties and candidates to follow the Election Commission of India’s model code of conduct (MCC) for peaceful and fair elections. He requested avoiding unverified allegations and distortions when criticizing others.
He prohibited the use of loudspeakers between 10pm and 6am without prior written permission and asked for compliance with local traffic regulations. “Political workers must display badges or identity cards and vehicle restrictions during the campaign and on polling day must be obeyed. Complaints should be reported to election officials,” he said.
Unofficial voter identity slips should be on plain white paper without symbols or candidate names, he said, adding non-voters and non-candidates must leave the constituency after the campaign. Corrupt practices, such as bribery and undue influence, and electoral offenses, such as canvassing within 100 metres of polling stations, are prohibited, the CEO added.
He asked to maintain election purity and transparency, political parties should avoid cash transactions and refrain from carrying large amounts of cash. Disturbances at meetings and processions of other parties are forbidden. Campaign materials must not be displayed near polling booths.
Sibin C said that demonstrations or picketing outside private residences are prohibited. Police assistance should be sought to manage disruptions at political meetings. Section 127 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, penalises disorderly conduct at public meetings with imprisonment up to six months, a fine up to ₹ 2,000, or both.
