DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

The Election Commission of India has issued detailed guidelines of 'Do's and Don'ts' for candidates and political parties for the Haryana Assembly elections. These guidelines are required to be followed till the completion of the election process.

Giving information in this regard, Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal said all parties and contesting candidates should have access to public places like grounds and helipads fairly. During elections, criticism of other political parties and candidates should be limited only to their policies, programmes, past records and actions. Local police officials should be informed and necessary permission for the time and place of the proposed meeting should be taken in a timely manner.

Pankaj Agarwal said if any restrictive or prohibitory orders are in force at the place of the proposed meeting, then those orders should be respected. Similarly, permission should be obtained for the use of loudspeakers or any other such facility for the proposed meetings and police assistance should be obtained in dealing with persons who create disturbance or disorder in the meetings.

He said the time, place and route of starting and ending any procession should be finalized in advance and prior permission should be obtained from the police officials. It must be kept in mind that the route of the procession should not obstruct the traffic.

The Chief Electoral Officer said to ensure peaceful and orderly voting, all election officials should be cooperated by the political parties and the candidates contesting the elections.

Also, all political workers engaged in the election will have to show badges or identity cards. The informal identity slip issued to voters should be on plain (white) paper, on which there should be no name and symbol of the party or name of the candidate.

Apart from this, the ban on movement of vehicles during the campaign period and on the day of polling should be strictly followed. Any complaint or problem regarding the conduct of election should be brought to the notice of the Election Commission Observer, Returning Officer, Zonal/Sector Magistrate, Chief Electoral Officer or Election Commission of India.

The CEO said the orders or guidelines of the Election Commission or Returning Officer or District Election Officer should be strictly followed in all matters related to various aspects of the election. After the end of the election campaign period, if any person is not a voter or a contesting candidate or election agent of a candidate, then that person has to leave the concerned constituency.
(editor@dailyworld.in)