Elections 2022: ECI extends ban on physical rallies, roadshows till January 22
Elections 2022 political rallies: The Election Commission of India on Saturday held separate virtual meetings with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Chief Secretaries and Health Secretaries of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, as also the chief electoral officers of these five poll-bound states to review the Covid-19 situation.
Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra along with Election Commissioners Rajiv Kumar and Anup Chandra Pandey accompanied by Secretary General and Deputy Election
Commissioners concerned also held a comprehensive review of the present status and projected trends of Covid-19 pandemic with special focus in the five poll-bound states.
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After considering the present situation, facts and circumstances, the commission directed that no road show, pad yatra, cycle/bike/vehicle rally and procession would be allowed till January 22. The commission shall subsequently review the situation and issue further instructions accordingly.
No physical rallies of parties or candidates, including probable, or any other group related to the elections 2022, shall be allowed till January 22, 2022.
However, the commission has granted relaxation for the political parties to the extent that indoor meetings of maximum of 300 persons or 50 per cent of the capacity of the hall or the prescribed limit set by the SDMA will be allowed.
Political parties should ensure the compliance of Covid-19 appropriate behaviour and guidelines and the model code of conduct on all occasions during the activities connected with the elections 2022.
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All state/district authorities have been directed to ensure full compliance of
these instructions.
Polling in Uttar Pradesh, with 403 constituencies, will take place across all seven phases.
Manipur with 60 constituencies will vote on February 27 and March 3. Punjab with 117 constituencies, Uttarakhand with 70 constituencies and Goa with 40 constituencies will cast their vote in a single-phase on February 14.
-PTC News
