ECI acted on BJP's 38 complaints; addressed 51 grievances of Congress since enforcement of MCC

The Election Commission of India (EC) on Tuesday listed action taken by poll body since enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) from March 16, 2024, with the announcement of the general elections to the Lok Sabha.

The Election Commission of India (EC) on Tuesday listed action taken by poll body since enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) from March 16, 2024, with the announcement of the general elections to the Lok Sabha. The EC shared that among the total complaints, 51 were from the Bharatiya Janata Party, out of which action was taken in 38 cases; 59 were from the Congress, out of which action was taken in 51 cases.

The complaints received from other parties were 90, out of which action has been taken in 80 cases. EC listed out some "exemplary decisions" that they took during the last one month of Model Code of Conduct to maintain level playing field among the political parties.

The poll body said that they have taken a firm stand to uphold the dignity and honour of women by issuing notices to the leaders of parties who made derogatory and offensive remarks against women. The EC said that they have held party presidents accountable for party leaders and campaigners' disrespectful and derogatory comments and the level of response has also been raised.

The poll body has not interfered in matters that could overlap or overrun the legal judicial process, it said. The EC has also cracked down on anonymous hoardings by plugging loopholes in legal provisions. The poll body has taken legal action against the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) minister for derogatory remarks against the Prime Minister.

The EC has given directions to the Central Board of Direct Taxes for verification of any mismatch in asset declarations by Union Minister Chandrasekharan in his affidavit. The poll body said that all political parties have been treated fairly, time was given to all even at short notice and their grievances were patiently heard. 16 delegations from seven political parties met with the Commission, the EC said, adding that many delegations met in the States at the level of the Chief Electoral Officer.

The EC has issued strict directions to prevent misuse of government platforms for the advantage of the ruling party. It has also given directions to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to stop transmission of the Viksit Bharat message. It has taken note of avoiding permission for the Prime Minister's interview with Bill Gates on a public broadcaster.

The EC has issued directions to the cabinet secretary for compliance with instructions issued by them on the removal of defacement from government or public premises. It has also cleaned up Chief Minister's offices in six states by removing principal secretaries. To ensure that no gaps are left to ensure a level playing field between political parties, the EC ordered the suo motu removal of the West Bengal Director General of Police.

The EC also ordered the transfer of officials who were close relatives of elected political representatives in the states. It has also ordered the suo moto transfer of non-cadre officers who were posted to leadership positions as District Magistrate (DM) and Superintendent of Police (SP). The poll body has ensured substantial and critical enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) at the field level through the effective use of the Commissions Vigil App for MCC enforcement.

Moreover, the administrative machinery, including all District Magistrates (DM), Collectors or District Electoral Officers (DEO) and Superintendent of Police, was specifically and directly sensitised by the Commission to enforce the model code without any compromise whatsoever. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had personally trained all over 800 DMS or DEOs in 10 batches at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in Delhi. The poll body also shared that it received approximately 200 complaints filed by various political parties and candidates at the level of the Election Commission of India and across states. Of these, action has been taken in 169 cases, it said. (ANI)

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