Election Commission bans victory rallies; Calcutta HC says ‘strictly enforce’ – Times of India

The Election Commission on Tuesday told the Calcutta High Court that it was banning all rallies and gatherings across India on vote-counting and result declaration day. A maximum of two persons would be allowed to accompany winning candidates when they go to collect MLA certificates, the EC added.

KOLKATA: The Election Commission on Tuesday told the Calcutta High Court that it was banning all rallies and gatherings across India on vote-counting and result declaration day. A maximum of two persons would be allowed to accompany winning candidates when they go to collect MLA certificates, the EC added.
The Calcutta HC heard the EC submission and said mere “banning” was not enough; the EC directives should be treated like a high court order and “strictly enforced”. A division bench of Chief Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee will hear the case again on May 3. Poll results are slated to be declared after counting of votes on Sunday, May 2.
Tuesday’s EC submission followed seven petitions in the Calcutta HC seeking directives to the poll panel and the central and state governments to enforce Covid safety protocols during electioneering. The Madras HC on Monday told the EC that it “should be put upon murder charges… for being the most irresponsible institution”.
An EC directive to chief electoral officers of all poll-bound states, including Bengal, conveyed the “more stringent provisions” prompted by the Covid surge. They included “no victory procession after counting on May 2”. “Not more than two persons shall be allowed to accompany winning candidates or their authorised representatives to receive the (MLA) certificate,” it added.
Medical experts have repeatedly expressed their concerns about the lack of Covid safety protocols during electioneering. A large section has said the protracted, eight-phase poll in Bengal may have been one of the contributors to the virus’s surge in Bengal. The EC, taking note of the concerns, took several steps on April 22. It banned all rallies and directed parties to have public meetings with not more than 500 participants and following all safety protocols.