GB Nagar: Despite Covid rules for door-to-door campaign, violations galore

Noida: Even as the Election Commission of India has allowed only five people in door-to-door campaigning for the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, political parties on the campaign trail have so far been seen openly flouting this rule - not just during door-to-door campaigns but also by carrying out rallies and roadshows in large groups in Gautam Budh Nagar.

Videos and photos of door-to-door campaigning are out on social media where candidates of different political parties from all the three constituencies here and their supporters can be seen violating the ECI guidelines and COVID protocols. In these rallies, the social distancing usually goes for a toss with several people not even wearing masks in the rallies.

A senior officer of the district electoral department said that they are keeping a watch on the door-to-door campaigns by different parties and registering cases against them if violations are seen. Police have already registered two separate FIRs against Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupendra Baghel and Dadri's sitting MLA and Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) candidate Tejpal Nagar for violating Covid-19 norms during their respective campaigns but the rule can be seen being violated by almost every single candidate in the fight.

Baghel was campaigning door to door in Noida's Sector 113 for a party candidate Pankhuri Pathak when an FIR was registered against him for allegedly flouting Covid norms. Similarly, Nagar visited several high-rise housing complexes in Greater Noida West and could be seen with more than five people in the photographs shared on his social media accounts.

Election offices have so far accepted nominations from 39 (out of 52) candidates for constituencies in GB Nagar have been accepted and 55 (out of 73) from Ghaziabad constituencies have been accepted.

Of the 52 candidates who had filed papers in GB Nagar, 23 had filed their nominations from Noida constituency, 16 from Dadri and 13 from Jewar.