No rally will be allowed at least until January 15 in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, where Assembly elections will be held from February 10 to March 7 over seven phases.
The votes will be counted on March 10, chief election commissioner Sushil Chandra announced.
The Election Commission of India announced that “no roadshow, padyatra, cycle/ bike/ vehicle rally and procession” nor any “physical rally” will be permitted till January 15. Street-corner meetings have been banned altogether.
Any extension to the ban on rallies will be announced on January 16 after taking into consideration the prevalence of Covid in the states.
Violation of the ban could lead to denial of permission for rallies by errant candidates or parties in case the ban is lifted after January 15.
A night campaign curfew has been declared from 8pm to 8am, which will be in place for the entire process of the elections.
Uttar Pradesh, the largest of the poll-bound states, will vote in seven phases with the notification for the first leg being issued on January 14. Manipur will vote in two phases and Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa in one phase.
Except Punjab, ruled by the Congress, the BJP is in power in the remaining four states.
Chandra, the poll panel chief, said polling officials would be vaccinated and booths sanitised.
“Ultimately it is you (the public) who has to protect yourself (from Covid)” — by getting vaccinated, ensuring physical distancing, wearing masks and using hand sanitisers.”
Several leaders have been holding big rallies regardless of the spike in Covid cases. The Congress and AAP have called off rallies in Uttar Pradesh.
“It is our duty to see how to conduct elections that protect both the voter and the vote…. We should have a belief that we can pass through this pandemic also through safety measures and Covid-appropriate behaviour,” Chandra said.
The Election Commission urged parties “ to conduct their campaign as much as possible through digital/ virtual/ media platforms /mobile-based mode instead of physical mode”.
This will give an edge to the BJP, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav said on Saturday. The BJP has a vast online army and unmatched resources when it comes to the use of social media.
The guidelines for the polls issued on Saturday says: “The Commission directs that during electoral process Chief Secretary at State level and District Magistrate at District level shall be primarily responsible for monitoring, supervision and strict enforcement of these Covid guidelines and the guidelines issued by the NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) and respective SDMA/DDMA (at the state and district levels), whichever is more stringent.”
Chandra advised people to come to vote wearing masks and fully vaccinate themselves beforehand. “Any postponement of the Assembly (elections) may result in a situation which denies people of the states the right to elect an accountable government of their choice,” he said.
All polling officials will be offered a booster shot of the Covid vaccine. The “third randomisation” or allotment of staff to polling booths has been extended from 24 hours to 72, ostensibly to avoid crowding at dispatch centres.
Anyone with fever will be sent back and called to vote in the last hour of polling. As in recent elections, the option of postal ballot has been offered to the severely disabled, those above 80, essential service workers and those in Covid quarantine.
Defence personnel will be able to use electronic postal ballots.
Up to 1,250 voters will be allowed per polling booth, leading to a rise in the number of booths, especially in Uttar Pradesh where the figure will be 18.49 per cent more than the 2017 Assembly election number.
M.S. Gill, who had been chief election commissioner from 1996 to 2001 and later a Congress minister at the Centre, told The Telegraph: “In my time, (voting in) Uttar Pradesh was done in three phases. Since then, the phases have had to be increased, which unfortunately indicates that Uttar Pradesh is out of control. Increasing phases allows us to move forces around with more ease but it also allows unpleasant elements to spread out in a big way.”
A total of 18.34 crore voters can exercise their franchise in these polls.
VOTING DAYS
⚫ Uttar Pradesh: February 10, 14, 20, 23 and 27, March 3 and 7
⚫ Manipur: February 27 and March 3
⚫ Punjab: February 14
⚫Uttarakhand: February 14
⚫Goa: February 14
⚫ Counting: March 10
