Shimla: Viewing the chances of Covid spread seriously, Himachal Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) C Paulrasu has cut down the bypoll campaign by one day and also restricted the timing for the electioneering just for nine hours in a day.
In a direction issued to the political parties and contesting candidates, Paulrasu said the electioneering in the state for four constituencies –one parliamentary and three state assemblies, will end on October 27 instead of October 28 as notified earlier.
"The step has been taken to ensure that Covid situation in the state is not allowed to aggravate as some districts ,including those witnessing the bypoll, are seeing a fresh spurt in the cases and deaths," he said.
The bypoll relates to Mandi Parliamentary constituency having districts of Mandi, Kullu, Kinnaur, Shimla, Chamba and Lahaul-Spiti while three assembly constituencies – Arki, Jubbal-Kotkhai and Fatehpur are in the districts of Solan, Shimla and Kangra.
The polling is slated for October 30.
The state has around 1,292 active cases as on October 20 while 3,711 persons have died due to Covid infection in the state.
Himachal Pradesh has achieved 100 percent vaccination of the eligible population above 18 years for the first dose and one district –Kinnaur has achieved 100 percent vaccination of both the doses.
Despite that, Paulrasu feels that the bypoll campaign and gatherings could lead to spread of the infection, thus there is need to curtail the campaign timings and days.
The daily campaign timing is fixed between 10 am an and 7 pm. The silence period has been increased from two days to three days before the polling.
Meanwhile, the BJP is all set to give a greater push to its campaign for the candidates listing out more star campaigners, apart from Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur–who is BJP's face in the poll.
"Top leaders viz Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal, both former Chief Ministers will join the campaign from October 23. Their exact programmes for the poll rallies are being worked out," said Karan Nanda, Deputy Media incharge of the party.
Till now, Union minister for Information and Broadcasting for Anurag Thakur, who hails from Himachal Pradesh has already campaigned in Fatehpur and Arki.
The Congress has also stepped up its electioneering in Mandi, Arki, Fatehpur and Jubbal-Kotkhai.
The focus of the party in Mandi, where Pratibha Singh wife of former Chief Minister late Virbhadra Singh is in the fray against Kargil war veteran Brigadier (Rtd) Khushal Thakur, is to get sympathy vote and also encash on development works done by Congress stalwart. Singh also had been MP from Mandi five times, three time union ministers and six-time Chief Minister.