Election Commisssion lays out conduct rules for Haryana assembly poll

The Election Commission of India has advised political parties and candidates on their general conduct for the 2009 elections to the Haryana Vidhan Sabha.

Announcing this on Wednesday, Haryana's Chief Electoral Officer Sajjan Singh said candidates were not allowed to use mosques, churches, temples or other places of worship as forum for election propaganda.

No party or candidate shall do anything that may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic, he added.

He said criticism of other political parties, when made, shall be confined to their policies and programme, past record and work. Also, parties and candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of other candidates' private life not connected with the public activities of the leaders or workers of other parties.

"Criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion shall be avoided," he said.

"There shall be no appeal to caste or communal feelings for securing votes."

All parties and candidates shall scrupulously avoid all activities that are termed as "corrupt practices" and "offences" under the election law, such as bribing, intimidation, or  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, he said.