Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal Announces New Rules for Election Campaigns
Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal has announced that political parties and candidates will not be allowed to use school and college playgrounds for election rallies. This decision follows a ruling from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Agarwal emphasized the importance of maintaining high ethical standards during the election campaign. He stated that voter sentiments should not be exploited based on caste, religion, or community. He also highlighted that while citizens have the right to freedom of expression under Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution, the Model Code of Conduct must be strictly observed.
According to Agarwal, religious places such as temples, mosques, churches, and gurdwaras cannot be used for campaign purposes. Additionally, photographs of defense personnel or events involving them must not be used in advertisements during the campaign.
He also mentioned that star campaigners must comply with the Model Code of Conduct. To ensure transparency and accountability, the Election Commission has mandated that the Chief Electoral Officer and District Election Officers maintain a register for violations of the Model Code of Conduct. This register will document the names of candidates, campaigners, and political parties, along with details of the violations, actions taken, and directions issued by the Election Office or the Election Commission. This information will be made publicly available, and interested parties, including the media, will be able to access this data.
The Assembly polls in Haryana will be held on October 5, and the votes will be counted on October 8, along with those in Jammu and Kashmir.
Doubts Revealed
Haryana Chief Electoral Officer -: The Chief Electoral Officer is a person in charge of making sure elections are fair and follow the rules in the state of Haryana.
Pankaj Agarwal -: Pankaj Agarwal is the name of the person who is currently the Chief Electoral Officer in Haryana.
Punjab and Haryana High Court -: This is a big court that makes important legal decisions for the states of Punjab and Haryana.
Election rallies -: These are big meetings where political parties talk to people to get their support for elections.
Ethical standards -: These are rules about what is right and wrong, making sure everyone behaves fairly and honestly.
Religious places -: These are places where people go to pray, like temples, mosques, and churches.
Defense personnel images -: These are pictures of people who work in the army, navy, or air force.
Election Commission -: This is a group of people who make sure elections are run properly and fairly.
Code violations -: These are actions that break the rules set for fair elections.
Haryana Assembly polls -: These are elections to choose leaders for the state government of Haryana.
