The certificates issued to those who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry will no longer bear the picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This was decided by the Union Health Ministry under directions from the Election Commission after the Trinamool Congress pointed out that the picture appearing on Covid-19 vaccination certificates in the four States and one Union Territory of Puducherry is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

The MCC came into effect on February 26 when the Election Commission announced the poll dates in these states and Union Territory. The elections in the four states and Puducherry will extend from March 27 till May 2 when the votes for all the states and UT will be counted.

The MCC is an EC document that lays down the minimum standards of behaviour for political parties and their candidates contesting elections, by defining their dos and don’ts in the electoral battle.

The MCC lays down good behavioural norms covering eight areas of electioneering, including general conduct of candidates and also their meetings/processions, appointment of observers, maintenance of polling booths on voting day, and what should go into political parties’ election manifestos.

Earlier this month the Election Commission had asked the government to drop the Prime Minister’s photo from the certificates in the poll bound states and UT.

In a letter dated March 9, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote to the poll panel saying that the directions will be complied with. “Thereafter, necessary filters in Co-WIN have been applied for the vaccination centres situated in the four states of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Union Territory of Puducherry, as suggested by the Commission,” the letter said.

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