The Election Commission (EC) on October 12 announced elections in Himachal Pradesh.
Voting for the 68-seat Himachal Pradesh assembly will take place on 9 November and the results will be declared on 18 December.
With the announcement of the election schedule, the model code of conduct for Himachal Pradesh comes into force immediately.
Himachal Pradesh would be the second state, after Goa earlier this year, to use a 100% paper audit trail or VVPAT.
Also, on a pilot basis, to enhance transparency, one polling station in each assembly constituency will be randomly selected for VVPAT counting.
The term of the current assembly in Himachal Pradesh ends on 7 January.
Model Code of Conduct
Election Commission of India's Model Code of Conduct is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India for conduct of political parties and candidates during elections
The Model Code of Conduct comes into force immediately on announcement of the election schedule by the commission for the need of ensuring free and fair elections.
The MCC, often described as a voluntary “Moral Code of Conduct” is a set of guidelines issued to parties, candidates and the government to ensure free and fair elections.
There is no statute governing these guidelines.
However major violations like attempts to create enmity between communities for votes can be dealt with under existing laws, including the Indian Penal Code.
There guidelines for what is allowed or isn’t under the MCC, and the Election Commission (EC) or State Electoral Officer often acts as the arbiter.