Overview
- India’s Election Commission, which issued the order Thursday, said the Model Code of Conduct ended at once in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry, and in bye-poll seats in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland and Tripura after results were declared May 4.
- The code is a set of rules that bars new government announcements and use of official machinery for advantage during campaigns, and it applies from the day the poll schedule is announced until the election process finishes.
- The rules still apply in West Bengal’s 144-Falta seat because the earlier vote was cancelled over severe breaches reported during polling.
- Fresh voting in Falta is scheduled for May 21 across all 285 polling stations, with counting set for May 24, according to the commission’s order.
- With the code lifted elsewhere, newly elected governments and state offices can restart regular policy work and administrative decisions that were paused during the election period.