The five states that are going into Assembly elections 2022 are Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Punjab, and Uttarakhand. The Phase 1 election of Uttar Pradesh scheduled for February 10 will kick start the election season. Results of all five states' polls will be declared on 10 March.

As the five states go under the polls, the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued guidelines for the Assembly Elections 2022. On January 8, the poll body banned political parties from holding roadshows and physical rallies until January 15, which was then extended till January 31 because of the rise in COVID-19 cases. The election agency had also postponed the date of the election in Punjab to 20 February, instead of 14 February citing a surge in COVID-19 cases. Assembly Elections 2022 Dates And Full Schedule Announced by EC: Voting to Take Place Between Feb 10 And March 7 in UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa; Results on March 10.

The apex elections body had increased the limit on the number of persons allowed for the door-to-door campaign from 5 to 10. For Outdoor campaigning, video vans at designated open spaces were permitted. In Uttar Pradesh, a maximum of 500 persons or 50% of the capacity of the ground or the prescribed limit set by SDMA, whichever number is lesser has been allowed by ECI from 28 January till 8 February for physical meetings of concerned political parties or contesting candidates for Phase 1.

The political parties and contesting candidates are directed by the top polls body to ensure compliance of COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and guidelines and Model Code of Conduct. ECI has mandated multiple entry and exit points at rally venues so that there is no crowding as people enter or leave the venue. ECI Appoints 15 Special Observers to Monitor Electoral Machinery Work in Poll-Bound States.

As per the MYGOVs Data, the active COVID-19 caseload in 5 poll-bound states is - Uttar Pradesh has 28,156 COVID-19 patients, Manipur has 3,786 COVID-19 Cases, Goa has 4,664 COVID-19 cases, Punjab has 10,351 COVID-19 patients, and Uttarakhand has 16,409 COVID-19 patients.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 07, 2022 09:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).