Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra today announced the crucial assembly election schedule for UttarPradesh, besides four other states. The polls, viewed as mini-general elections and rehearsal for 2024 Lok Sabha polls, will be held in 7 phases in UP, beginning from February 10, till March 7. Counting of votes will take place in all states on March 10.
Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa will vote in a single phase on February 14. Manipur, on the other hand, will vote in two phases on Feb 27 and March 3. Elections will be held for 403 assembly seats in UP, 117 in Punjab, 70 in Uttarakhand 60 in Manipur and 40 in Goa.
In view of large scale growing cases of Covid 19, Sushil Chandra said that no roadshows, padyatras, cycle or bike rallies and processions shall be allowed till 15th January. The situation will be reviewed and fresh instructions to be issued later, CEC said. He also said that the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes into effect immediately from announcement of the schedules.
He also said that it is mandatory for political parties to upload on their website detailed information regarding individuals with pending criminal cases selected as poll candidates and as to why this particular candidate was selected.
This time around, candidates contesting polls will also be given an option for online nomination and at least one polling booth in each assembly constituency will be exclusively managed by women personnel to encourage women voters.
Notably, the term of the current Uttar Pradesh assembly is ending in May, while those of the other four assemblies are ending on different dates in March.
In view of the pandemic, the number of voters at a polling station has been reduced to 1,250 from 1,500 thereby, increasing the number of election booths. Further, polling time has been increased by an hour.
The ECI has also directed that all central and state government officials deployed for election duty should be doubly vaccinated. On the recommendation of the EC, the Union Health Ministry had issued orders on February 8, 2021 that all election officials and employees would be treated as frontline workers and all eligible officials shall be given a precautionary booster dose accordingly.
The CEC said that anybody violating instructions on COVID measures will be liable to be proceeded against as per provisions of Section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 besides legal action under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and other legal provisions as applicable.
All polling stations will be equipped with masks, gloves and thermal scanners. The maximum number of voters per polling booth has been reduced from 1500 to 1250. COVID-affected voters will be provided the facility of postal ballot.
