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New Delhi :The Election Commission of India (ECI) on January 8, 2022, nnounced the schedule for General Election to Legislative Assemblies of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh (UP), 2022.
The polls will be held in seven phases in Uttar Pradesh (403 ACs)- February 10, 2022, February 14, 2022, February 20, 2022, February 23, 2022, February 27, 2022, March 3, 2022, and march 7, 2022.
Punjab ( 117 ACs), Goa ( 40 ACs),and Uttarakhand ( 70 ACs) will go to polls on February 14, 2022. In Manipur ( 60 ACs), poll be held on February 27, 2022.
The Commission has made elaborate arrangements for ensuring the effective implementation of MCC. It has also issued instructions for swift, effective, and stringent action for enforcement of Model Code of Conduct during the first
72 hours of announcement of the election schedule and also for maintaining extra vigilance and strict enforcement action in the last 72 hours prior to the close of polls.
( CEC Sushil Chandra,ECs Rajiv Kumar & ANup Chandra Pandey)
The Chief Secretaries of all poll going states have been directed to accelerate the first and second dose of vaccination to all eligible citizens above 18 years.C The ECI has directed that all central/state government officials deployed for election duty shall be doubly vaccinated. On the recommendation of ECI, the Union Health Ministry on February 8, 2021, had issued orders hat all election officials and employees will be treated as frontline workers and all eligible officials shall be given a precautionary booster dose accordingly.
The ECI has directed the following : 1) Number of persons to accompany candidate for submission of Nomination is restricted to two (2) instead of five (5).
2) Number of vehicles for the purposes of nomination is restricted to two
(2) instead of three (3).
3) Returning Officer’s chamber should have sufficient space to perform
the functions of nomination, scrutiny and symbol allocation following
social distancing norms.
4) Returning Officer should allot staggered time in advance to prospective
candidates.
5) Large space for waiting for candidate(s) should be arranged.
6) All steps required to be taken for the submission of nomination form
and affidavit shall continue to operate as per the provisions contained
in the Representation of the People Act, 195
For last more than 6 months, the entire election machinery was gearing up for these elections. Periodic reviews were done and senior officers of ECI held detailed meetings to review all aspects of poll preparation. A lot of advance planning and meticulous preparation were done In the month of December, 2021,
The Commission visited 4 poll bound states to review poll preparedness. It discussedw held discussion with various political parties and elicited their views and suggestions. It also met the Chief Secretaries, DGPs, and other Enforcement Agencies in the states on various issues of preparedness, according to a PIB release.
As the covid cases showed a resurgence especially in view of the new Variant of Concern-Omicron, the ECI held meetings with the Health Secretary, Govt of India, and health experts. It also held discussions with the Union Home Secretary onthis issue. After taking all these views and the ground situation, the Commission decided to announce elections to the five states.