The EC order got here on a day West Bengal reported its highest single-day spike of 11,948 COVID-19 circumstances and 56 contemporary deaths
The Election Fee of India has banned all roadshows, padayatras and rallies whereas proscribing attendance in public conferences to a most of 500 individuals in West Bengal the place polling is being held in a number of phases.
The order was issued on Thursday when polling for 43 seats within the sixth part of the Meeting Election in West Bengal was held and campaigning for the remaining seventh and eighth phases continued with out COVID-19 precautions.
The order additionally got here on a day West Bengal reported its highest single-day spike of 11,948 COVID-19 circumstances and 56 contemporary deaths and the Calcutta Excessive Court docket censured the fee over its dealing with of the election.
“No public assembly past the restrict of 500 individuals at a spot topic to availability of enough area with social distancing, adhering to COVID-19 security norms, shall be permissible,” the order stated.
The EC order stated that no cycle or bike or car rallies shall be allowed for the remaining two phases of elections within the state and all permissions for roadshows, cycle/bike/car rallies that have been granted earlier stand withdrawn. Permission for public conferences stand modified as per the 22 April order, the order stated.
Over the previous couple of weeks, the EC has issued a number of warnings to political events for violating COVID-19 protocol throughout election rallies and occasions.
On 9 April, the Election Fee had advised the political events that in case of a breach of the well being protocols, it should “not hesitate in banning public conferences, rallies of the defaulting candidates, star campaigners or political leaders with none additional reference”.
On 16 April, after the fifth part of polling concluded, the Fee used its constitutional powers to ban campaigning between 7 pm and 10 am and discouraged public gatherings.
It additionally prolonged the silence interval to 72 hours from 48 hours previous to polling within the sixth, seventh and eighth phases of the West Bengal Meeting election.
Later, on 20 April, Calcutta Excessive Court docket stated that it will be open to the ballot panel and the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to take the requisite steps and guarantee a profitable implementation of the COVID protocols by requiring strict compliance of the prescribed pointers and orders by all political events, candidates and all different involved with the election course of.
On Wednesday, the Election Fee wrote to the heads of all recognised political events, warning them as soon as once more that “in case events or candidates don’t abide by the laid down COVID protocols in the course of the marketing campaign, crucial motion underneath the Catastrophe Administration Act 2005, the Epidemic Illnesses Act 1897, and so on, shall be initiated instantly by the district authorities and their permission for additional campaigns, even when granted beforehand, shall even be cancelled”.
Whereas voting for the sixth part concluded on Thursday, Bengal will vote for the remaining seventh and eighth part of the Meeting election on 26 and 29 April.