The ban on roadshows and rallies for next month's state polls was extended till the end of this month on Saturday by the Election Commission but with relaxations for the first two phases of voting due on February 10 and 14.
The decision came after the election body held a meeting earlier in the day with the Union Health Secretary and the Chief Health Secretaries of the five states to review the restrictions given the surge in coronavirus cases.
The Election Commission had banned election rallies and roadshows until January 15 first and later extended the curbs till January 22. The progress on vaccination will be a key factor in allowing relaxations, officials had said.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will contest next month's Assembly election - his first - from the Karhal seat in Mainpuri district, which is in his family's home turf.
Karhal has voted for a Samajwadi Party candidate in every election since 1993, except in 2002, when the BJP flipped it. It returned to Mr Yadav's party in 2007 and is currently held by Sobaran Yadav.
The five states - Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur, and Goa - will submit the current status of vaccination and caseload in the virtual meeting.
Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra dropped a bombshell Friday morning when she hinted she could be the Congress's chief ministerial candidate for the Uttar Pradesh election. Hours later, she said she meant it in a "tongue-in-cheek" way.
But she did not rule out contesting the election. If she does, she will be third debutant in this UP election after Yogi Adityanath and Akhilesh Yadav.
"I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek. Because I am asked this question... every second question is the same question," Priyanka Gandhi said in an interview to NDTV.
