Assembly polls: EC withdraws ban on victory processions
The winners of the assembly polls in the five states could celebrate freely, as the Election Commission (EC) early on Thursday lifted the ban on victory procession in view of the waning third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic across the country.
A few hours after the counting of the votes cast in the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur started, the EC issued a press-release, stating that it had withdrawn the blanket ban on victory processions. It decided to relax the guidelines on victory processions during and after the counting.
The EC had announced the schedule of the assembly polls in the five states on January 8 last. It had also issued revised guidelines to regulate various aspects of elections including victory processions during the period of the Covid-19.
The commission gradually relaxed the norms concerning electioneering in consultation with the Union Health Ministry and state governments.
“Viewing the current status of Covid-19 in these poll-going states, the Commission has decided to relax the guidelines on victory processions during and after the counting and has withdrawn the blanket ban on victory processions,” the EC stated. “However, this relaxation will be subject to existing instructions of SDMA and preventive measures, imposed by concerned district authorities.”
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