Assembly elections: EC bans victory processions on and after May 2 results

The decision to ban victory processions came a day after the Madras High Court came down heavily on the poll panel for failing to implement Covid guidelines

The winners of Assembly polls in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry will not be allowed to take out victory rallies, the Election Commission (EC) ordered on Tuesday, even as it sought to pass the buck to state disaster management authorities after the Madras High Court held it responsible for the second Covid-19 wave in the country.

The poll panel also ordered that not more than two persons would be allowed to accompany the winning candidate or his/her authorised representative while collecting the certificate of election from Returning Officers at the counting centres on May 2 — the day of counting of votes.

The Madras High Court on Monday observed that the EC was “singularly responsible” for the second wave of Covid in the country as it failed to enforce safety protocols during electioneering. The court also observed that EC officers should be booked for murder.

The EC, however, said on Tuesday that the responsibility of enforcing measures to contain the pandemic — like lockdown, restrictions on or curtailment of public gatherings — was assigned to State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs), which did not stop public gatherings under the Disaster Management Act 2005 during the period when Assembly polls were held.

Read | EC officers should be booked under murder charges: Madras HC slams political rallies during Covid-19

The EC directed everyone to adhere to whatever was prescribed by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). On no occasion does the EC take over the task of SDMAs for enforcement of Covid protocols, it stated.

The EC recalled that it had conducted Assembly polls in Bihar in October-November last year amidst the lockdown. It noted that its own August 2020 guidelines had emphasised that state authorities should ensure compliance to protocols.