Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photo will not be displayed on the Covid vaccination certificates in the five poll-bound states as the sequel of the electoral conduct and norms. The states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab, and Manipur will go into seven-phased assembly polls next month and the election dates were announced by the Election Commission on Saturday - January 8 and the model code of conduct has come into force following the announcement of dates. 

According to reports, these five states will not have Modi's photo on the vaccination certificates owing to the elections and the Union Health Ministry has applied necessary filters on the Co-WIN platform to exclude Modi's photo from the vaccine certificates. These filters were applied after the election schedule was announced. The elections will be held from February 10 and the results of the polls will be announced on March 10.

PTI has quoted the source saying, "The Health Ministry has applied necessary filters on the Co-WIN platform to exclude the picture of the Prime Minister from the Covid-19 vaccination certificates being given to people in these five poll-bound states because of the model code of conduct coming into force." It is pertinent to note that the Union Health Ministry had in March 2021 rolled out a similar drive of removing Modi's photo from the certificates during the polls held in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, West Bengal, and Puducherry. 

The measure of removing the Prime Minister's photo was taken by the Election Commission after complaints raised by some political parties. Earlier, there were speculations that the elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab, and Manipur would be deferred in light of the rapid spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the Election Commission has on Saturday announced that the postponement of the election would be against democracy. 

As per the announcement from the Chief Election Commissioner, Uttar Pradesh will have seven-phased polls starting from February 10, Manipur will have two-phased polls, while the rest three states - Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Goa will have a single-phase poll. In light of the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Election Commission has announced a slew of restrictions and reformations to conduct the polls without standing on thin ice.

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