Delhi Municipal Elections: EC Imposes Fresh Curbs, Limits Campaign Timing | Guidelines Here

Delhi Municipal Elections: The EC said the number of star campaigners is restricted to 10 for these elections for national/state recognised parties and five for unrecognised registered parties.

Delhi Municipal Elections Latest Update: Ahead of the municipal elections, the Delhi State Election Commission on Tuesday imposed fresh restrictions and limited the number of star campaigners to 10 for recognised parties and five for unrecognised ones. The curbs were imposed in the wake of the COVID pandemic in the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for municipal elections in April this year.

The other MCC guidelines from the Delhi State Election Commission include no meetings or processions beyond 8 PM, no roadshow, bike and cycle rallies without prior permission, a limit of 50 people in street corner meetings and only five persons including the candidate to be allowed for door-to-door campaigns.

The Delhi State Election Commission said the MCC will come into force in Delhi when dates for civic elections are announced. However, the official sources told PTI that dates are likely to be declared “very soon” by the Commission.

The restrictions were imposed as State Election Commissioner SK Srivastava earlier in the day convened a meeting to review the COVID conditions in the city and also the situation of law and order ahead of the announcement of the schedule for civic polls.

Full list of guidelines:

• The number of star campaigners is restricted to 10 for these elections for national/state recognised parties and five for unrecognised registered parties.
• The permission for the campaigning by star campaigners shall be submitted to the district magistrate at least 48 hours before the start of the campaign.
• No roadshow shall be allowed and no motorbike/cycle rallies will be allowed without valid permission.
• No victory procession after the counting of votes shall be allowed.
• Not more than two persons shall be allowed to accompany the winning candidate or the authorised representative to receive the certificate of election from the Returning Officer.
• The arrangements of masks distribution will be made for those who turn up at the polling booths without masks.
• Sanitisers should be made available at all polling stations and public meeting venues.
• Nukkad Sabhas (meeting) will not be allowed on public roads, roundabouts or public streets or corners.
• Maximum of 50 persons shall be allowed in street corner meetings, subject to availability of space and compliance to COVID-19 guidelines.
• Not more than 50 people shall be allowed in one cluster point during the campaign through video vans.
• A maximum of five vehicles will be allowed for a candidate/ political party (including star campaigner).
• The use of loudspeakers shall be permitted only between 8 AM and 8 PM.

It must be noted that there are 104 wards each in the North and the South Delhi Municipal Corporations. The East Delhi Municipal Corporation has 64 wards. Half of the wards are reserved for women candidates. There are wards reserved for Scheduled Castes candidates as well.

In the last MCD polls in Delhi, the BJP registered an impressive victory, returning to power in the three corporations by winning 181 of the 272 wards. Its closest rival AAP managed to win only 49 wards, while the Congress bagged 31 wards in the 2017 elections. Independent candidates won three wards in North Delhi, four in South Delhi and one in East Delhi.