The open campaigning for the December 8 local body polls in the district will come to a close at 6 p.m. on December 6. The Kottikalasham, the jamboree which traditionally marks the end of the open campaigning, will not be held, given the COVID-19 scenario.
District Collector Navjot Khosa has urged political parties and candidates to refrain from such celebrations involving crowds and a large number of vehicles. Ms. Khosa added that action would be taken against candidates who violate the prohibition on Kottikalasham.
The Collector also requested candidates to avoid rallies and mass gatherings over the next two days. Once the time for open campaigning ends, political leaders and workers who have arrived from elsewhere for campaigning should leave the wards. This is not applicable to the candidates or election agents.
The anti-defacement squads have so far removed 23,329 unauthorised campaign materials in the district, Ms. Khosa said. This included 20,114 posters, 1,791 boards and 1,423 flags.
The electronic voting machines (EVM) to be used in the Attingal municipality will be commissioned on Saturday at the conference hall of the municipal office. The rehearsals for presiding officers and first polling officers in the district will begin at 9 a.m. at the Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Cotton Hill, on Saturday.
Liquor ban
A liquor ban will be imposed in the district for 48 hours from 6 p.m. on Sunday in view of the December 8 elections. The ban will be in place on December 16, the counting day, also, Ms. Khosa said.
Holiday
December 8 will be a holiday in the district for all educational institutions, government, semi-government and public sector institutions. The District Collector has issued orders in this regard. Establishments that accommodate polling stations will have a holiday on December 7 and 8. Institutions which house the distribution centres for polling materials will have holidays from December 6 to 9.
