New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday will convene to examine the COVID-19 situation in the five polling states and decide if the prohibition on physical rallies should be maintained.


The Commission may also rule if new relaxations in organising physical campaigning events may be extended to political parties and candidates, news agency PTI reported.


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When the election panel released the vote schedule for Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab, and Manipur on January 8, it put a ban on physical rallies and roadshows, citing an increase in COVID-19 cases.


It had maintained the prohibition on physical rallies and roadshows in the five states until January 31 but had permitted public gatherings with a maximum of 500 people in the seats going to polls in the first two stages and loosened door-to-door campaign limits during its previous meeting on January 22.


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The Commission has been assessing the issue on a regular basis and has granted relaxations to guarantee that the virus does not spread and that parties are able to conduct physical campaigning in a limited format.


Assembly elections will be held in seven phases beginning on February 10 in Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. The ballots will be counted on March 10th.


(With PTI Inputs)