Ahead of the local body polls in Haryana, State Election Commission, on Saturday said there is no limit on vehicles which a candidate can use for electioneering purpose. However, before the campaigning commences, the candidates would have to furnish the details of such vehicles and the areas or wards in which they would be used for campaign purpose to the Returning Officer, who after necessary scrutiny would issue a permit.
A spokesman of the Commission said that the original copy of the permit issued by the Returning Officer should be displayed on the wind screen of the vehicles. The permit should be of such dimension that it could be seen from a distance, he added.
The permit should contain the number of the vehicle, date of issue of permit, name of the candidate and the area where it would be used for campaigning. Any further deployment of any additional vehicles can take place only after notice to this effect is given by the candidates or their agents and permit obtained for the same before the actual deployment of the vehicle.
The spokesman said that the details so obtained should be conveyed to the Deputy Commissioner and Election Expenditure Observer concerned, so that they can check the expenditure in this regard is correctly included in the expenditure account of the candidate.
He said that any vehicle used for the campaigning without due authorization or permit by the candidate would be deemed to be unauthorised and might attract penal provisions of chapter IX A of the Indian Panel Code and would therefore be immediately taken out of the campaigning exercise.
The vehicle employed for election campaign as per the intimation given by the candidate or their election agents to the district administration should not be requisitioned by the administration.