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Covid-19: India's Election Commission allows victory processions as cases fall

Election results in five states were announced on Thursday

Published: Thu 10 Mar 2022, 1:46 PM

Updated: Thu 10 Mar 2022, 1:48 PM

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Reuters file

Reuters file

The blanket ban on victory processions was lifted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday, allowing candidates to celebrate their wins.

“During the period of elections as the Covid situation improved, the ECI gradually relaxed the norms concerning electioneering in consultation with Union health ministry and state governments,” the election body said on Thursday.

“Viewing the current status of Covid-19 in these poll going states, commission has decided to relax the guidelines on victory processions during and after the counting and has withdrawn the blanket ban on victory processions. However, this relaxation will be subject to existing instructions of the State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMA) and preventive measures, imposed by concerned district authorities.”

Results to elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Punjab were announced on Thursday.

The ECI imposed restrictions on victory processions after it announced the schedule for voting in the five states on January 8.

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Political parties were also barred from holding rallies, roadshows and meetings. But with a sharp fall in Covid cases in India in recent weeks, the restrictions were gradually eased.

Confirmed Covid-19 cases have fallen to a little above 4,000 on Thursday, as against over 140,000 on January 8.



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