Delhi Municipal Elections 2022: The Delhi State Election Commission on Tuesday capped the number of star campaigners for recognized parties to 10 and unrecognized ones to five for municipal elections to be held in April.
The commission has also imposed many restrictions due to Kovid.
As per the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), no meeting or procession can take place after 8 pm, no road shows, bike and cycle rallies can take place without prior permission.
A limit of 50 people has been fixed for street meetings and only five persons including the candidate will be allowed to campaign from door to door.
The MCC will come into force after the announcement of the dates for the civic polls in Delhi. The dates are likely to be announced by the commission “very soon”, news agency PTI quoted official sources as saying.
State Election Commissioner SK Srivastava has called a meeting today to review the epidemic situation and law and order situation in the city, the news agency reported.
“Everything is normal and the schedule of civic polls can be announced very soon,” a source was quoted as saying by PTI.
MCC Guidelines
In view of the pandemic, the number of star campaigners for these elections is limited to 10 for national/state recognized parties and five for unrecognized registered parties.
– The permission for campaigning by star campaigners will have to be given to the District Magistrate at least 48 hours before the start of the campaign.
No road shows will be allowed and no motorbike/cycle rallies will be allowed without valid permission and subject to extant DDMA guidelines.
– No victory procession shall be permitted after the counting of votes and not more than two persons shall be permitted to accompany the winning candidate or authorized representative to obtain the certificate of election from the Returning Officer.
Nukkad Sabha (meeting) will not be allowed on public roads, squares or public roads or corners.
– Subject to availability of space and compliance of guidelines, maximum 50 persons will be allowed in street meetings. Not more than 50 people will be allowed in a cluster point during the campaign through video vans.
A candidate/political party (including star campaigner) will be allowed a maximum of five vehicles. Such meetings/processions will not be allowed to continue beyond 8 PM and will further be subject to other relevant considerations like weather conditions, festival season, duration of examination etc.
The use of loudspeakers will be allowed only between 8 am and 8 pm.
– A candidate and his workers “may hold a maximum of five flags for a procession. The size of the flag shall be 3 feet by 2 feet.”
The sale, service and consumption of liquor and other intoxicating liquors and drinks shall be prohibited on the day of polling and two days before the polling in 272 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and their adjoining areas to ensure that free and peaceful voting .
In 272 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the date of polling and two days before the poll and the day of counting of votes shall be declared and notified as dry days under the relevant laws.
The State Election Commission last week raised the limit on expenditure a candidate can make in elections to three municipal corporations – North, East and South – in the city. to 8 lakh 5.75 lakhs.
The North and South Delhi Municipal Corporations have 104 wards each. East Delhi Municipal Corporation has 64 wards. Half the wards are reserved for women candidates. There are also reserved wards for Scheduled Caste candidates.
In the last MCD elections in Delhi, the BJP had registered impressive victories, returning to power in all three corporations, winning 181 out of 272 wards. AAP managed to win only 49 wards, while Congress secured 31 wards in the 2017 elections.
With inputs from PTI
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