Gujarat Election Date, Result Date 2022: What is Model Code of Conduct? Guidelines, violations and why it is necessary?

Gujarat Election Date, Result Date 2022: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the schedule for the Gujarat Assembly polls. While polling will take place in two phases on December 1 and December 5, the result will be announced on December 8. With the announcement of the election schedule, the Model Code of Conduct comes into effect in the western state. 

The Model Code of Conduct and will remain enforced in the state under the completion of the democratic exercise. The term of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly ends on February 18 next year. As per the rule, a new government should take charge before the expiry of the current session.

What Is Model Code Of Conduct?
Model Code of Conduct is a set of rules that evolved over a period of the past six decades and has been laid down by the Election Commission of India. These rules are to be abided by the political parties including the ruling party, their campaigners and the candidates. 

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The Election Commission brings the Model Code of Conduct into effect to ensure free and fair elections.

Model Code of Conduct Guidelines 

General Conduct
No party or candidate shall be included in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic.

There shall be no appeal to caste or communal feelings for securing votes. Mosques, Churches, Temples or other places of worship shall not be used as a forum for election propaganda.

All parties and candidates shall avoid scrupulously all activities which are “corrupt practices” and offences under the election law, such as bribing of voters, intimidation of voters, impersonation of voters, canvassing within 100 metres of polling stations, holding public meetings during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for the close of the poll, and the transport and conveyance of voters to and from polling station.

No political party or candidate shall permit its or his followers to make use of any individual’s land, building, compound wall etc., without his permission for erecting flag-staffs, suspending banners, pasting notices, writing slogans etc

Political parties and candidates shall ensure that their supporters do not create obstructions in or break up meetings and processions organised by other parties.

Meetings
The party or candidate shall inform the local police authorities of the venue and time of any proposed meeting well in time so as to enable the police to make necessary arrangements for controlling traffic and maintaining peace and order.

A Party or candidate shall ascertain in advance if there is any restrictive or prohibitory order in force in the place proposed for the meeting if such orders exist, they shall be followed strictly. 

If permission or licence is to be obtained for the use of loudspeakers or any other facility in connection with any proposed meeting, the party or candidate shall apply to the authority concerned well in advance and obtain such permission or licence.

Procession
A Party or candidate organising a procession shall decide beforehand the time and place of the starting of the procession, the route to be followed and the time and place at which the procession will terminate. 

The organisers shall give advance intimation to the local police authorities of the programme so as to enable the letter to make necessary arrangements.

The carrying of effigies purporting to represent members of other political parties or their leaders, burning such effigies in public and such other forms of demonstration shall not be countenanced by any political party or candidate.

Polling Booth
Except for the voters, no one without a valid pass from the Election Commission shall enter the polling booths.

Violations 
Though the ECI does not have a judicial ability to penalise the violators of the Model Code of Conduct, it generally issues show-cause notice to the violators and in some cases, bars them from the poll campaign.

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