EC asks political parties not to use govt machinery, funds in elections
08 October, New Delhi
The Election Commission has directed political parties not to use any public funds or public place or government machinery for advertising their party or the election symbol allotted to them.
The direction came following the Delhi High Court order in the Common Cause vs Bahujan Samaj Party case, which has been welcomed by political parties.
However, the BSP today denied that it was using public fund for promoting party or its symbol in election. The fund being used by the party was not public, but membership fee, senior BSP leader Ambeth Rajan told UNI.
Meanwhile, JD (U) hailed the Commission’s direction.
Senior JD (U) leader K C Tyagi said, “We are fully supporting the Commission’s direction. All governments have been misusing public funds and government machinery for advertising their parties and symbols. Such type of propagation has created an environment, leading to a gap between the government and the party”.
The High Court, while giving judgement in the Common Cause vs Bahujan Samaj Party, had directed the Commission to issue appropriate direction preventing recognised political parties in power from using public places and public funds for propagating the election symbol of the party.
The Commission, while issuing the direction in a statement said, “It is clarified that any violation of the above directions would be treated as violation of a lawful direction of the Commission within the meaning of paragraph 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation & Allotment) Order, 1968”.
However, the Commission said that before taking a final decision, it had decided to obtain views of recognised parties and accordingly, they were requested to furnish their views in the matter latest by September 19. The parties which have furnished their views in the matter, have supported the idea of having guidelines in this regard, the statement added.
The Commission said it was of the view that utilising public funds or public place for promoting any political party or propagating its election symbol would be antithetical to the concept of free and fair election and the principle of level playing field for all stakeholders.