Chandigarh (Haryana) [India] September 30 : Election Campaigning for the 15th Haryana Legislative Assembly Elections-2024 is scheduled to come to an end at 6 PM on October 3.
After 6 PM, no political party or candidate will be allowed to hold public meetings or rallies, per the Election Commission's guidelines.
Apart from this, except for the candidate's election agent, other party workers, leaders, and campaigners who are not voters of the concerned constituency will not be permitted to remain in that constituency, the commission noted.
Voting for all 90 Assembly constituencies in Haryana will take place on October 5 from 7 AM to 6 PM.
Haryana Chief Electoral Officer, Pankaj Agarwal, stated that under Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, all campaigning must stop during the 48-hour period leading up to the end of voting. During this period, no candidate is allowed to organise or participate in any public meeting.
Further, no election-related material can be displayed through cinematography, television, or other devices. Political campaigns using music concerts, theater programs, or other entertainment forms to attract the public are also prohibited during this time. The use of loudspeakers will also be banned, he said.
Additionally, no candidate or political party is allowed to campaign within a 200-meter radius of a polling booth. Agarwal mentioned that any violation of Section 126 (1) could result in up to two years of imprisonment, a fine, or both.
According to the Commission's instructions, all ministers, members of Parliament and State Legislative, and other political functionaries who have been provided with security should leave the constituency as soon as the campaign period ends, i.e. 48 hours before the time fixed for the close of poll. Only the candidate and their election agent are allowed to stay, while party workers, leaders, or campaigners who are not voters of the constituency must leave the area.
Pankaj Agarwal further stated that under Section 126 (1)(b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, any election-related content displayed on television or similar devices during the 48-hour 'silent period' prior to the close of voting will be prohibited. Election-related material is defined as any matter intended or calculated to influence the election result that occurs within this 48-hour period. However, the advertisements in print media are allowed during this period subject to the pre-certification of the content of the advertisements from the respective district or state level Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) as the case may be.
Additionally, under Section-126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, exit polls and the dissemination of their results are prohibited from the start of voting until half an hour after the end of polling. Violators of these provisions may face imprisonment of up to two years, a fine, or both. All media houses are advised to follow these instructions.