NEW DELHI, Jan 31: As the prime minister Narendra Modi addressed the first virtual election rally on Monday, the Election Commission of India further extended till February 11 the ban on roadshows, ‘padyatras’, vehicle rallies and processions but enhanced the number of people allowed in door-to-door campaigning and physical public meetings.
For the door-to-door campaigning, the ECI has now allowed 20 people instead of the current limit of 10 and for physical public meetings, a maximum of 1,000 people instead of the present limit of 500 or half the capacity holding of the ground where the meeting was being held would be allowed.
This was stated after Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra along with Election Commissioners Rajiv Kumar and Anup Chandra Pandey held another comprehensive review of the present COVID-19 situation in the poll-bound States of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
The Commission has decided that no roadshows, ‘padyatras’, and cycle/bike/vehicle rallies and processions shall be allowed till February 11, 2022, a statement said. The Commission also decided to allow physical public meetings of political parties or contesting candidates in designated open spaces with a maximum of 1,000 people, instead of existing 500 people, or 50% of the capacity of the ground, or the prescribed limit set by SDMA, whichever number is lesser, from February 1, 2022 for all phases.
The Commission has also enhanced the limit for door-to-door campaigns and instead of 10 persons, now 20, excluding security personnel, will be allowed, the ECI statement said. “Other instructions on door to door campaigns will continue. The Commission has now granted relaxation for the political parties to the extent that indoor meetings of a maximum of 500 persons (instead of existing 300 persons) or 50% of the capacity of the hall or the prescribed limit set by SDMA is allowed,” the EC said.
The EC on Monday held a slew of virtual meetings with the health ministry, chief secretaries, health secretaries and chief electoral officers of the five poll-bound states. The Chief Election Commissioner along with the election commissioners accompanied by the secretary general and the concerned deputy election commissioners, also held a separate review of the present status and projected trends of the Covid pandemic.
“In depth discussions were also held with respect to current vaccination status of 1st, 2nd doses for eligible persons in the respective States as also arrangements for polling personnel. All the State Chief secretaries informed the Commission about reports of Covid 19 infection either plateauing out or tapering as on date. They also said the positivity rate is showing a decline with the number of hospitalisation cases also registering a declining trend,” the EC said.
“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,” it added.
The EC said all the existing restrictions detailed on January 8 when the poll schedules were announced would continue to remain in effect.
(Manas Dasgupta)