BENGALURU: As Covid-19 numbers continue to surge in the state, the health department on Friday issued detailed guidelines for the safe conduct of bypolls to Belagavi Lok Sabha and Maski and Basavakalyan Assembly seats. According to the guidelines, only five people, including candidates, are allowed during door-to-door campaigning. During roadshows, convoys of vehicles should be broken after every five vehicles instead of 10 (excluding security vehicles, if any). The interval between two sets of vehicle convoys should be half-an-hour, instead of a gap of 100m. To ensure social distancing during rallies in open areas, 15 persons will be allowed per gunta (1,000 sq ft) and 200 attendees in closed spaces.
District Election Officers should identify dedicated grounds for public gatherings, with clearly marked entry/exit points, and place markings on the floor to ensure physical distancing by the attendees. They should depute officials to ensure the norms are followed.
Leaders from the BJP, Congress and JDS will address a number of rallies in all three constituencies in the next few days, and candidates and their supporters will take up door-to-door campaigning to woo voters.
Health Commissioner Dr KV Trilok Chandra stated that broad guidelines for the conduct of elections/ by-elections are issued by the EC from time to time. In view of the current Covid-19 situation, comprehensive guidelines are issued in the state.
Parties and candidates should ensure that all Covid-related requirements like face masks, sanitiser and thermal scanning are fulfilled during meetings. Cases will be booked under Disaster Management Act, 2005, besides legal action taken under Section 188 of the IPC against those violating protocol, the health department warned.
“The nominations form shall also be available on the website of the CEO/DEO. Candidates may fill it online and its print may be taken for submitting before the Returning Officer as specified in Form-1 (Rule-3 of Conduct of Election Rules 1961). Affidavit may also be filled online on the website of CEO/DEO and its print can be taken and after notarisation, it may be submitted along with the nomination form before the Returning Officer,” the guidelines states.