NEW DELHI: Citing improvement in the COVID-19 situation, the Election Commission on Thursday lifted the ban on victory processions during the counting of votes and declaration of results in the five states where elections were held recently.
The Commission had imposed the ban in May 2021 ahead of the assembly polls in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, West Bengal and Kerala and continued with the restriction for Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab where elections were held this year.
In a statement, the poll panel said keeping in mind the current status of Covid-19 in these states, it has "decided to relax the guidelines on victory processions during and after the counting and has withdrawn the blanket ban on victory procession".
"During the period of elections as the COVID situation improved, the Commission gradually relaxed the norms concerning electioneering in consultation with the Union Health Ministry and state governments," the statement said.
The relaxation will be subject to existing instructions of state disaster management authorities and preventive measures imposed by concerned district authorities, it added.
After imposing restrictions on physical campaigning to prevent the surge of COVID cases at the time of the announcement of the poll schedule on January 8, the poll watchdog has been gradually easing curbs.