Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 | Candidate seeks ban on slippers near polling booths citing MCC violation

Mumbai: An independent candidate contesting the Maharashtra assembly election has made an unusual appeal that slippers be banned near polling booths in his constituency in Dharashiv, citing that they were his poll symbol and wearing them would be a violation of the election code.

Gurudas Sambhaji Kamble, a candidate from the Paranda assembly seat, has sought to ban "chappals" within a 200-metre radius of polling booths.

According to the Election Commission of India's code of conduct, candidates cannot display their symbols near polling stations.

In a letter addressed to the election officer, Kamble argued that allowing voters or officials to wear slippers near the booths could inadvertently breach the rules.

"My electoral symbol is chappals. Wearing chappals within the 200-metre radius of polling booths could be seen as a violation of the code of conduct. To preempt such issues, I request a ban on slippers for all, including election officials, candidates, and voters. Anyone found wearing them should face strict action," Kamble stated in his letter.

He emphasised that his request was intended to uphold the integrity of the election process and avoid any breaches.

Maharashtra will go to polls on November 20, and the votes will be counted on November 23.

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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