New Delhi: Mr Sushil Chandra Chief Election Commissioner announced the schedule for the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pardesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab. Elections are to be held from feb 10 to March 7. In which UP will be voting in 7 phases, Manipur will vote in 2 phases and Uttarakhand, Punjab and Goa will vote in single phase. While counting is scheduled on March 10th, said Sushil Chandra while addressing a press conference at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Sat.

He further added that elections are to be to held 403 Assembly seats in UP. 117 seat in Punjab, 70 in Uttarakhand, 60 in Manipur and 40 seats in Goa. Providing further details he said UP will vote on 10 Feb, 14 Feb, 20 Feb,  23 Feb, 27 Feb, 3 March and 7th March whereas polling in Manipur is held on 27th feb and 7th march, Uttarakhand and Goa will vote on feb 14th.

Mr Sushil Chandra also said that Campaining curfew will be imposed between  8pm to 8am through out polling process no roadshows, padyatra’s and kind of physical rallies like cycle or bike rally shall be allowed till Jan 15th in view of rising Covid concerns. The situation will be reviewed and fresh instructions to be issues in wake of situation post Jan 15. Since the ‘ground situation is dynamic’.

He also added Model Code of Conduct(MCC) comes in effect immediately after announcement of the schedule. He said “its mandatory for all political parties to upload detailed imformation about the candidates including criminal records and any pending criminal cases of the candidate and reasons about selecting the particular candidate should be mentioned on the official website of Chief Election Commission(CEC).

Sushil Chandra added “We aim to conduct Covid-safe elections in five states with maximum voters turn over and extensive preparation. All polling stations will be equiped with Covid preventing facilities including sanitizers and masks and making sure all poll workers and voters to be fully vaccinated. The number of Polling booths are also increased”.

While making most of the situation Congress Party has already announced that it wouldn’t hold any rally in Uttar Pradesh and also took a dig at BJP and urged PM Naredra Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath to refrain from holding large public gatherings in the State.

CM of Goa announce the state would not hold any large gathering exceeding 100 people in outdoor venue and indoor venues will be allowed to hold with only 50 percent of capacity for public meetings in wake of rising Covid -cases.