The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday said the ban on rallies and roadshows will continue to remain in effect in poll-bound States but granted more relaxations for smaller physical public meetings in halls and outdoors.
For indoor rallies, a 50 per cent crowd of the capacity of the hall is allowed, while for outdoor rallies, 30 per cent of the capacity is permitted. The new relaxations will help political parties hold bigger physical campaigning events in the run-up to the polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab, and Manipur. The campaigning for phase one of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on February 10 ends on February 8
evening.
This comes after the EC held a meeting with the secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday to assess the Coronavirus pandemic situation in the country and inputs from chief secretaries and chief electoral officers of the poll-bound States.
The Chief Secretaries had told the EC that there had been a “significant improvement” in the Covid-19 situation and a “considerable decrease” in positive cases and hospitalisation.