The aspirants are seeking the “opinion” of the voters even before filing their nominations. The door-to-door campaign is without much ado, bereft of the sound and noise associated with a typical poll campaign. They are personally meeting the voters seeking their ‘favour’ in the polls.
Contact programme
Some are listing out the development projects they have planned, if elected to the rural local body. The aspirants are not sparing even the farmers working in fields during their “contact programme.”
Candidates will have to contest from respective Gram Panchayats depending upon the reservation of seats. However, several aspirants belonging to a particular group have become a challenge for the political parties, which intend to wield power, though remotely. It has become a challenge for the parties to evolve a consensus and ensure a unanimous candidate in the fray. More youths are showing evincing interest in contesting the elections this time.
Guidelines
The State Election Commission has come out with detailed guidelines on all aspects of the poll campaign. The booklet published for the guidance of candidates lists out various dos and don’ts. The candidates or their representatives should mutually consult before taking a campaign march on the same route.
Care should be taken to ensure that vehicle traffic is not affected by the campaigns, and route plan should be brought to the notice of the police well in advance. The organisers must obtain police assistance for the peaceful conduct of the campaign.
The candidates should not indulge in vote seeking on the basis of caste and religion. They neither should involve in any acts that would whip up communal passion. The places of worship - temples, mosques, churches etc., - should not be used as a location for campaign meetings.
Voters should not be enticed with money nor they should be coerced. Campaign should not focus on the personal life of the candidate. Sound amplifiers and public address system should be used from 7 in the morning up to 10 in the night. The party in power should not misuse the power for campaigning.
Government servants should act impartially and should not indulge in campaigning. The campaign should come to end 48 hours before the commencement of the voting.
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