E-Paper
Covid shadow on polls: EC extends ban on roadshows till February 11
The watchdog, which earlier banned all election gatherings until January 15 to check the spread of Covid-19, asked political parties to ensure compliance with pandemic-appropriate behaviour
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday extended a ban on roadshows, marches, cycle and bike rallies, and processions in five poll-bound states till February 11, citing the need to continue with Covid-related precautions even as infections are declining.
The commission allowed physical public meetings in designated open spaces with a maximum of 1,000 people or 50% of the capacity of the venue or the prescribed limit permitted locally, whichever is lowest, from February 1.
The number of people allowed to go for door-to-door campaigns has also been increased. “Instead of 10 persons, now 20 persons, excluding security personnel, will be allowed for door-to-door campaigns,” the ECI said in a statement.
For indoor meetings, the ECI has allowed a maximum of 500 people, instead of the existing 300, or 50% of the capacity of a hall or the prescribed limit set by local authorities.
“All the state chief secretaries informed the commission about reports of Covid-19 infections either plateauing out or tapering as on date. They also said that the positivity rate is showing a decline with the number of hospitalisation cases also registering a declining trend. The State officers however said that Covid protocol precautions need to be continued to be observed so that no undue spurt takes place due to intense public contact because of heightened political activity,” the statement said.
The ECI, which earlier banned all election gatherings until January 15 to check the Covid-19 spread, asked political parties to ensure the compliance of the Covid appropriate behaviour, guidelines, and Model Code of Conduct.
Elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur are being held from February 10 and the results will be declared on March 10.
Other containment measures include curbs on the number of vehicles accompanying a candidate for the submission of nominations. The vehicles have been restricted to two. The ECI said chambers of returning officers should have sufficient space for nominations, scrutiny, and symbol allocation while following social distancing norms. It has allowed 1,250 voters in each polling station instead of the usual 1,500. The number was capped at 1,000 for the previous rounds of state elections. There will also be mandatory sanitisation of polling stations and thermal checking of voters.
The ECI is also running a pilot project to live track the overcrowding of voters at poll booths to ensure safety norms are followed. Covid patients and those under quarantined will be allowed to vote in the last hour of polling under the supervision of health authorities.
The ECI has written to chief secretaries of poll-bound states to expedite vaccination, increase the number of polling stations, and for reducing the number of people at polling booths. It faced criticism during the eight-phase West Bengal elections last year for prolonged polls and ignoring demands to club the last three phases in view of the rise in Covid-19 cases. A police complaint was filed against the election watchdog for culpable homicide by the widow of a Trinamool Congress candidate who died of Covid-19.
