CANDIDATES OR POLITICAL PARTIES MUST OBTAIN VEHICLE PERMITS FOR ELECTION CAMPAIGNS, USE OF LOUDSPEAKERS WILL BE PROHIBITED FROM 10 PM TO 6 AM
Face2News/Chandigarh
Chief Electoral Officer, Haryana, Sh. Pankaj Agarwal said that with the commencement of the nomination process for the 2024 Assembly elections, candidates and political parties must adhere to the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India during roadshows and election rallies to avoid causing inconvenience to the public.
The Chief Electoral Officer said that any candidate or political party must obtain permission for the use of vehicles in the election campaign; vehicles cannot be used for campaigning without this permit. He further shared that it is also necessary for candidates or political parties to submit the details of the vehicles registered for campaigning to the Expenditure Observer so that these expenses can be included in their election expenditure.
The Chief Electoral Officer said that any candidate or political party must obtain permission for the use of vehicles in the election campaign; vehicles cannot be used for campaigning without this permit. He further shared that it is also necessary for candidates or political parties to submit the details of the vehicles registered for campaigning to the Expenditure Observer so that these expenses can be included in their election expenditure.
Besides this, any deployment of extra vehicles can only occur if prior notification is given by the candidate or their agent well before the actual deployment of vehicles. When providing the details of vehicles used for election campaigns, it is important to specify the areas and tehsils where these vehicles will be operating, said Sh. Pankaj Agarwal.
He shared that the use of vehicles for campaigning must comply with traffic regulations. He further stated that, except for security vehicles, no convoy with more than 10 vehicles will be allowed.
Sh. Pankaj Agarwal said that all bigger convoys shall be broken up, and such broken up convoys must have a distance of at least 100 meters between them.
The Chief Electoral Officer informed that as per Section 160 of Representation of the People Act, 1951, even cycle rickshaws are considered vehicles that can be used for election campaigns.
If used, candidates must account for the expenses related to these rickshaws in their election expenditure. He said that to ensure this, candidates should provide details of any such rickshaws used in their campaigns. If a rickshaw does not have a municipal registration/permit for identification, a permit can be issued in the name of the rickshaw driver by the Returning Officer, which must be kept with the driver when the rickshaw is being used for campaign purposes, said Sh. Pankaj Agarwal.
He said that the use of loudspeakers on public platforms or vehicles during election campaigns will be prohibited from 10 PM to 6 AM. The District Election Officer and Returning Officer will monitor all types of election campaigns, and any violation of the rules will be dealt with according to the law, shared Sh. Pankaj Agarwal.