Notices issued to Congress candidate Manish Tewari, party's state unit chief over code violation

Chandigarh's election officer has issued notices to Congress candidate Manish Tewari and state unit chief H.S. Lucky for allegedly violating election guidelines. Complaints emerged that Congress workers were distributing cards asking for voters' personal details in exchange for votes. The Election Commission of India considers this an inducement to voters and a potential violation of laws. The candidates have been given 24 hours to explain their actions, failing which they face legal consequences.

The Chandigarh district election officer has issued notices to Congress party's Chandigarh candidate Manish Tewari and party's state unit chief H S Lucky for the alleged violation of the Election Commission of India's instructions.

According to an official statement, the DEO-cum-returning officer issued the notice to Tewari and the state president of the Congress based on multiple complaints that ''the Congress workers were engaged in the making and distribution of Congress Guarantee Cards in different areas like Maloya, Daria, Kishangarh, Manimajra, Bapu Dham Colony, EWS Flats Dhanas, whereby important details of voters were being collected by inducing them to vote in favour of Congress in lieu of promised guarantees in guarantee cards''.

Field reports which were obtained from flying squads in this regard by assistant returning officers reported that some of the residents have been made to fill such forms in which their details like name, address and phone number by the Congress party workers, it said.

''Following the examination of complaints and reports received, a prima-facie case of violation of ECI instructions was made out against the candidate and the political party at whose behest this illegal electoral activity is being done,'' said the statement.

''The candidate and office-bearers of the Congress have been directed to immediately ensure that no such illegal electoral activity is done further,'' it said.

It has been made clear that if any such illegal electoral activity is reported in the Chandigarh parliamentary constituency in future, immediate penal action will be initiated against the candidate and the office-bearers of the political party, it said.

''Show-cause notice has been issued to explain their position within 24 hours of the receipt of the notice, failing which they will be held liable for violation of the above cited laws and of Model Code of Conduct and strict penal action as prescribed above in the law will be taken,'' it said.

Referring to the ECI instructions issued on May 2, the statement said such practices are ''in the nature of inducement to the elector, aimed at enticing the individual voters to vote in a particular way in lieu of a future benefit which is a prohibited activity under Section 123 (1) of Representation of People Act, 1951''.

This is also a violation of Section 171 (B) of IPC which deals with bribery '“ an offence related to elections, it said.

Polling for the lone Chandigarh seat will be held in the last of Lok Sabha elections on June 1.