EC extends ban on public rallies in poll-bound states till Jan 22

The Election Commission (EC) has extended the ban on physical rallies in the five poll-bound states till January 22 in light of the Covid-19 situation. Last week, the EC had imposed a ban on physical rallies, roadshows and corner meetings till January 15 in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur. The Union health secretary and the health secretaries of the five poll-bound states informed the EC on Saturday that the infection is still spreading.

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ECI directs political parties to adhere to the provisions of MCC and the broad guidelines of COVID

ECI directs State/ District Administration to ensure compliance of all instructions related to MCC and COVID

— Spokesperson ECI (@SpokespersonECI) January 15, 2022

While the Sushil Chandra-headed body allowed parties to hold virtual programmes, it also said that a call on physical gatherings will be taken upon expiration of the said seven-day period.Uttar Pradesh, with 403 constituencies, is the only state where polling will take place across all seven phases. Manipur (60) will vote on February 27 and March 3, while electors in Punjab (117), Uttarakhand (70) and Goa (40) will cast their vote in a single-phase on February 14.