No social distancing, no masks, no cap on the number of people attending candidates' meetings - this is full-blown campaigning for the Assembly polls in the pandemic-hit Punjab. The state reported 8,000 new Covid cases and 31 deaths Friday. In view of the rising cases during the third wave of Covid-19, the Election Commission of India had banned physical rallies and roadshows till January 22 and had permitted door-to-door campaigning in which a maximum of five persons, including candidate and security personnel, if any, could take part. The ECI had allowed indoor meetings of a maximum of 300 people or 50% of the capacity of the hall or the prescribed limit set by the State Disaster Management Authority. The commission had directed parties and candidates to campaign as much as possible through digital/virtual/media platforms/mobile-based modes. But despite the ECI directions, no Covid-appropriate behaviour is being witnessed. There are violations galore. In door-to-door meetings, more than five members accompany the candidate and these are fast turning into nukkad meetings, which are not allowed. In Jalandhar central, SAD, Congress and AAP candidates can be seen holding these meetings inside the houses of their supporters and on the streets where people sit closely and wear no masks. Even candidates are without masks. Similar scenes can be seen at Jalandhar Cantt Assembly constituency where SAD, AAP, Congress and BJP candidates hold such meetings flouting all norms. In political meetings at Nakodar, people generally sit in a small room with the candidate and do not wear masks. In Jalandhar West, the Congress candidate was spotted doing door-to-door campaign with more than five people and without masks. Similar scenes can be seen in Jalandhar North, Phillaur, Sultanpur Lodhi, Phagwara and Kapurthala constituencies. “In indoor meetings violations are being observed much more. Candidates and area people sit closely in small rooms wearing no masks. Their only focus is on campaign, not on Covid norms or model code of conduct,” said a senior Congress leader.
