Report by Kahnu Nanda, Jagatsinghpur: As the Election Commission of India announced the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls scheduled, the Model Code of Conduct [MCC] came in to enforce with immediate effect on Saturday as a consequence contesting candidates, political parties, media, and all election stakeholders must adhere the MCC with letter and spirit, said district collector cum election officer Parul Patwari in a media briefing held in collector office here on Sunday..
According to the collector, the elections notification of Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seat and four assembly constituencies will be held on May 7 and filing of nomination papers will continue till May 14. After scrutiny of nomination papers on May 15, candidates were given the liberty to withdraw nomination papers till May 17, then the elections would be held on June 01 in the last leg of polls and results would be declared on June 04, the collector informed.
Under general conduct, while political parties can criticize the other candidates based on policies and programs and their work records, they are not allowed to use caste and communal sentiments to lure voters. Political leaders cannot bribe or intimidate voters and most importantly they cannot criticize them based on unverified reports, the collector said.
It is mandatory for the contesting candidates to furnish their criminal antecedent in an affidavit during nomination, for political parties to inform the local police about their rallies and public meetings, and provide them time to make adequate security arrangements, carrying or burning effigies of the opponents are disallowed. On polling day all those party supporters who are working for their parties in the polling booth must wear a badge with the party name and symbol, the collector instructed.
Apart from voters only those individuals with permission from the ECI will allowed to enter polling booths, political parties must not campaign for votes within a distance of 100 meters of the polling booth on the day of the election. No MP and minister should combine their official visit with election campaigning and party works, collector warned briefing model code of conduct.
As many as 1047 polling booths have been proposed to erect in Jagatsinghpur district comprising 4 assembly segments, they were included as 131 Sakhi Booths, 8 youth booths, 2 PWD booths as well as 210 model polling booths, about 9, 48, 657 voters will cast votes in elections as consequence elaborate arrangements have been made for them including electrification and supply of drinking water, rest shed, wheelchairs for PWD voters in each polling booths have given priority, collector assured.
Collector gave suggestions to the officials concerned for conducting the elections in a peaceful atmosphere and perfect implementation of the model code of conduct in the district, she also asked officials to study the guidelines issued by ECI and think about what kind of actions could be taken against the violators without creating any inconvenience to the general public.
The press briefing was attended by the superintendent of police Rahul PR, ADMs as Sambit Rout, Abhimanyua Behera and Lalit Mohan Behera, sub collector Pradeep Kumar Sahoo, deputy collector Sradhanjali Majhi, DIPRO Kaminiranjan Pattnaik senior police personnel and government officials assigned with the polls.
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