Election expenses: Chief Electoral Officer held meeting with representatives of political parties

In view of the bye-elections to Mandi parliamentary and Fatehpur, Arki and Jubbal-Kotkhai assembly constituencies, a meeting was held here today under the chairmanship of Chief Electoral Officer, Himachal Pradesh C. Palrasu with representatives of various political parties regarding monitoring of election expenditure.  
The Chief Electoral Officer said that all the candidates and political parties will have to ensure compliance of the instructions of the Election Expenditure Monitoring Manual (February, 2019).  
The number of star campaigners for campaigning has been fixed at 20 for national parties and 10 for state level parties and their list will have to be made available within 10 days from the date of issue of election notification.
 He said that according to the orders of the Supreme Court in respect of candidates with criminal antecedents, the political parties have to submit them within 48 hours from the date of selection of their candidates or two weeks before the first date of nomination, whichever is earlier. 
 Public information on ongoing cases will have to be given.  Political parties will have to give details of pending criminal cases of such candidates on their website as well as the reasons for selecting such candidates.  .
Apart from getting this information published in one local and one national newspaper, it will also have to be displayed on the official social media platforms of the political party including Facebook and Twitter. 
 Political parties will have to submit a compliance report in this regard to the Election Commission within 72 hours of candidate selection. Candidates with criminal background will also have to publish and broadcast an announcement in this regard through newspapers and TV channels thrice during the election period.  

This declaration will have to be made on the prescribed form on the next day from the date of withdrawal of nomination and within 48 hours before the completion of the poll. For the first time within a period of four days from the date of withdrawal of nomination, the second betweenfive to eight days and the third time between the 9th day to the last day of the election campaign.
 He said that all political parties and candidates will have to ensure strict compliance of covid-19 rules during election campaign. 
 During door-to-door campaigning, only five people including the candidate will be allowed to campaign. Road shows, motor/bike/cycle rally will not be allowed.  There will be a ban on the gathering of more than 50 people at 
one place during the campaign through virtual medium and during this time compliance of covid-19 rules will have to be ensured. 
 Candidates or political parties (except star campaigners) will be allowed to campaign through a maximum of 20 vehicles with 50 per cent capacity.  The silence period has been fixed 72 hours before the end of the polling.  

A maximum of two vehicles with three persons per vehicle will be allowed on the polling day.  However, vehicles engaged in security will be allowed as per the prescribed instructions.  
Covid standards will have to be followed including fixed distance on the day of counting.  The representatives of political parties will have to submit the expenditure plan related to the meetings and rallies on the prescribed form.
  Expenses for rally etc. including filing nomination and flags, caps, mufflers, vehicles, etc. in which the name or photo of the candidate are mentioned, will be added to the account of the candidate. 
In internal gatherings, 30 percent of the total capacity or 200 people will be allowed to gather.  50 percent of the total capacity in open spaces or 1000 for star campaigners and 500 in all other gatherings would be allowed.

 He said that candidates, election agents, polling agents, counting agents and drivers etc. who have been given the first dose of corona vaccine, but are not eligible for the second dose, in such a situation they should be shown the RTPCR negative report 72 hours before.  
Will be allowed to come to the polling and counting center.  If any of them have not received the first dose of vaccine, then they would be allowed entry on production of RTPCR negative report 48 hours before.  Nominations of candidates who have not been vaccinated will also be accepted.
 In view of covid-19 precautions, the period of election campaign has been fixed after 10:00 am till 7:00 pm.  He urged all the political parties to encourage the people for maximum franchise.  Representatives of various political parties including Additional Chief Electoral Officer Dalip Negi were present in the meeting.