Election Commission Extends Ban On Political Rallies Till January 22

The Election Commission of India on Saturday extended the ban on physical political rallies till January 22. The Commission while announcing the poll schedule last Saturday had banned all physical rallies till January 15 due to the rising Covid-19 cases.

The Election Commission on Saturday held a series of review meeting with the Union Health Secretary, Chief and Health Secretaries of the five poll bound states and their Chief Election Officers and came to a decision to extend the ban for one more week.

Apart from physical rallies, nukkad sabhas, roadside meetings were also banned. It had also limited the number of people allowed for door-to-door campaigning.

Before the announcement of the poll schedule, several medical experts, civil society groups and the Allahbad High Court had called for the polls to be deferred but the Commission cited that it is constitutionally bound to hold the elections in a timely manner.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal Election Commission on Saturday postponed polls to four municipal corporations by three weeks to February 12 in the wake of rising Covid-19  cases.