Cuttack: Candidates contesting next month's civic body elections here have been asked in specific terms to adhere to model code of conduct sincerely and any deviation from it would invite stringent action.
CMC election officer Laxmidhar Mohanty said no party or candidate shall include any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic.
"Parties and candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with the public activities of leaders or workers of other parties," Mohanty said addressing candidates yesterday adding criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion shall be avoided.
He said pasting of posters, banners, festoons or making welcome arches and writing slogans on government buildings and boundary walls are strictly prohibited and these could be pasted on private house after taking advance permissions from the owners.
No candidate would be allowed more than two campaign vehicles to move around the wards and political parties are allowed to have only two campaign vehicles for the whole city.
Campaign vehicles are not allowed to use loudspeakers on them between?8 pm and 7 am?next morning and the campaign should end 48 hours before the end of voting on?February 6, Mohanty said. He also asked the candidates not exceed their poll expenditures beyond the specific limits and the poll expenditure details should be submitted with the poll (financial) observers in appropriate format on the due date.
Similarly, the Commissionerate police also briefed the candidates on their conducts so that a free and fair election is held in the city without any breach of peace.
The candidates expressed satisfaction after the briefing of the officials and said since most of them are contesting the election for the first time, the officials should have held such meetings much before.