Door-to-door campaign in Coimbatore city remains a challenge as over 7,000 are in home isolation

As political parties gear up for the election to 100 wards in the city, door-to-door campaign is expected to be a challenge as over 7,000 persons are in home isolation.The campaign will begin in the next few days once the political parties conclude the seat-sharing talks and finalise candidates. Being a local body election where the political battle is confined to a ward, the campaign will be localised and limited to the boundaries of each ward.And, that is where the challenge lies as the contestants will go door-to-door campaigning. As of Sunday, there are 7,915 persons in home isolation due to COVID-19.Of those, 1,476 are in North Zone, 1,265 in South, 2,936 in East, 1,374 in West, and 864 in Central Zone.The houses where the COVID-19 positive persons are in isolation are difficult to identify as the Coimbatore Corporation has stopped pasting stickers or barricading the neighbourhood and therefore, avoiding those will be challenge, say political party representatives.And, they cannot afford to skip any house because every vote counts in local body polls where the victory margin is usually wafer thin, they add.The State Election Commission guidelines on campaign says that candidates cannot take more than three persons for door-to-door campaigning, should maintain physical distance and compulsorily wear mask and gloves while seeking votes.It also says that at all times the candidates or their campaigners should maintain physical distance and warns of action under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.It is, however, silent on campaigning near houses where persons are in home isolation, admit Corporation officials adding that the civic body will take the State Election Commission’s advice before issuing separate guidelines, if necessary.Ends/KM