'For free and fair polls': Puducherry govt bars 'defacement' of properties during assembly elections

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the upcoming legislative assembly elections, the Puducherry government has banned defacing public and private properties.According to a notification issued by the Department of Revenue and Disaster Management on behalf of the Puducherry lieutenant governor, no political party, candidate, or supporter is allowed to paste posters, write slogans, paint symbols, or put up banners, hoardings, or arches in public spaces or on private properties visible to the public. The lieutenant governor is the Union territory's constitutional head.The order, following Election Commission instructions, aims to ensure free and fair elections while maintaining law and order. The restrictions will remain until the elections conclude, though voter awareness programmes under the SVEEP initiative are exempt.Voting for all 30 Puducherry assembly seats is scheduled for April 9, with counting set for May 4.