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The State Election Commission (SEC), Himachal Pradesh, on Tuesday announced the immediate enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) across the state following the declaration of the seventh general elections to Panchayati Raj Institutions.
According to an official notification, the elections will be conducted in three phases on May 26, 28, and 30. In view of ensuring free, fair, and smooth conduct of the electoral process, the Commission has invoked its powers under Article 243K of the Constitution of India and Section 160 of the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1994. The Commission stated that the Model Code of Conduct, as notified earlier, has come into force with immediate effect and will remain in operation until the completion of the election process. The notification has been circulated to senior government officials, including the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, and other administrative and police authorities for necessary compliance and wide publicity. The SEC emphasised that strict adherence to the MCC is essential to maintain the integrity and independence of the electoral process across Himachal Pradesh. The Himachal Pradesh State Election Commission on Tuesday announced that elections to Panchayati Raj Institutions across the state will be conducted in three phases on May 26, May 28 and May 30, with counting of votes scheduled for May 31. State Election Commissioner Anil Kumar Khachi, while addressing a press conference in Shimla, said that the elections will cover a total of 31,182 posts, including those of Pradhan, Up-Pradhan, members of Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads across all 12 districts of the state. However, the election programme will not apply to four Gram Panchayats in Kullu district, as their tenure is valid till February 9, 2027, though elections for Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad members will still be conducted there. Khachi said that the formal notification for the elections will be issued on April 29, 2026, following which the process of filing nomination papers will take place on May 7, 8 and 9 between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM. The scrutiny of nomination papers will be carried out on May 12, while candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations on May 14 and 15. Immediately after the withdrawal process, the final list of contesting candidates will be prepared, and election symbols will be allotted on May 15. (ANI)
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