CEO Himachal presides over election expenditure monitoring meeting

Shimla : The Himachal Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer C. Paulrasu today presided over the meeting with political parties on Election Expenditure Monitoring for by election to Fatehpur, Arki and Jubbal-Kotkhai Assembly Constituencies and Mandi Parliamentary Constituency.

Be said said all candidates and political parties have to follow directions given under instruction on Election Expenditure Monitoring Manual (February 2019). The maximum limit on the number of star campaigners for recognised National and State Political parties would be 20 and 10 respectively during the period of pandemic. The period of submission of list of star campaigners is extended from 7 days to 10 days from the date of notification.

He said candidates who have either pending criminal cases or who have been convicted in the past are required to publish the declaration within 48 hours of selection of the candidate and not prior to two weeks before the first date of filling of nomination whichever is earlier.

It is mandatory for political parties to upload on their website the detail information regarding individuals with pending criminal cases, alongwith the reason for such selection.

This information should be published in one local newspaper, one national newspaper and official social media platform of political party including Facebook and Twitter.

The concerned political party would have to submit a report of compliance with Election Commission within 72 hours of the selection. Candidates who have either pending criminal cases or have been convicted in the past are required to publish the declaration regarding such criminal cases in newspapers and TV channels on three occasions during the campaign period.

The CEO further said in view to Covid-19 the candidate, election agent, polling agent, counting agent, driver coming on contract with public or election official have to be double vaccinated or have RTPCR Covid-19 negative report with them. The campaign would take place between 10 AM to 7 PM.