Chandigarh, Feb 1 (IANS): Ahead of polling to be held in Punjab on February 4, the Election Commission has issued prohibition orders for the entire state from Thursday evening.

The prohibition will be effective from 5 p.m. on Thursday evening and will end on the conclusion of the voting process on Saturday.

Punjab Chief Electoral Officer V.K. Singh said that the guidelines have been issued in accordance with the provisions enacted in Section 126 of Representation of Peoples' Act.

As per the guidelines, the ongoing campaigning in all the 117 assembly constituencies and Amritsar Lok Sabha bye-election would come to an end 48 hours prior to the polling date.

"Subsequently all the political leaders, functionaries or party workers who are not the registered voters will have to vacate the constituency within this period," Singh said.

He said that necessary guidelines have been issued to the police and civil administration all across the state to ensure that outsiders who are not required should leave immediately.

The main contest is among the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine, the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).