- As expected, the Election Commission of India has announced the polling dates to five state assemblies viz., Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur, respectively. The voting will begin in February and the counting is scheduled to conclude on 10th March 2022. Of course, Uttar Pradesh polling will witness seven phases, and Manipur two phases, and the rest of the states will have a single day polling. In hindsight, the seven stages of elections in Uttar Pradesh could have been curtailed and restricted to not more than three phases. Most disconcertingly, the announcement of poll dates coincides with the surge of the third Covid wave across the country even as the confirmed infection rates keep scaling up quite alarmingly.
PC: Sambit Pal
- Against this backdrop, the EC’s one-week moratorium on physical rallies and roadshows should be construed as a smart idea where electoral mobilizations can spread infections even faster, especially in places where healthcare access is patchy. Mind you, an indefinite ban risked parties flouting the order but waiting till January 15 means all stakeholders will have a better idea of where the surge is headed. Further, the EC should be also open to the option of extending the no-rallies rule if the situation so demands. In all probability, the peak of the third Covid wave is predicted to be in the first week of February, and as such allowing physical rallies appears unlikely.
- It makes imminent sense for political parties to rewrite their campaign playbook and concentrate more on online campaigning methods and doorstep visits in groups of five or less, which EC has allowed. Also, star campaigners can immediately switch to virtual rallies and thanks to growing smartphone penetration, grassroots workers can take their message even further than physical rallies do. As the saying goes – necessity is the mother of all inventions – there is a solid case for all the mainstream political parties to fully utilize the digital medium to the maximum extent possible to impress upon the voters to vote for them.
PC: Peter Eyre
- Since the political parties are accustomed to organizing rallies with teeming supporters, a novel experiment vis-à-vis online/digital medium should define the forthcoming elections. As the Covid cases see an uptick, EC must not let go of the foot off the pedal whilst ensuring the general safety and health of the people is not compromised. We are aware of how the political parties and their leaders nonchalantly go about breaching the Model Code of Conduct and restrictions imposed during electioneering. As such, it is incumbent on the part of EC to hold party leaders responsible for cadres’ violations which is quite a common phenomenon witnessed during election campaigns.
- Needless to mention, this is the only plausible punishment that will work because our political leaders are not used to being upbraided very often. This in turn will have a strong incentive on the leaders to ask rank and file to behave responsibly by following suit. Remember, what is at stake is the precious lives and livelihood of millions if the election rallies turn out to be superspreader events allowing the third Covid wave a free but destructive run. Thus, all political parties should exercise restraint and exhibit the traits of responsibility given the situation.
