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Soni Mishra
Soni Mishra

ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS

Ministers can't hear pleas from public in poll-bound states

Bihar-poll-vote.jpg.image.975.568 Representative image

Chief ministers, ministers and politically appointed office bearers of statutory bodies cannot hear appeals filed before them by persons under prevailing Acts and laws in the election-going states till the conclusion of poll, the Election Commission has directed.

The Commission has written to the chief secretaries as well as chief electoral officers of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur, stating that hearing such appeals after announcement of election would amount to violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

It said it has been brought to its notice that such hearings continue to take place even after the Model Code of Conduct comes into force, and hence, it was necessary to stop political functionaries from hearing such pleas from the public after election has been announced.

The commission is of the view that any such hearings by the chief minister, ministers and politically appointed office bearers of statutory bodies may have direct or indirect influence on voters, giving them an undue advantage and hence may also disturb the level playing field.

The poll panel has directed that all such hearings should be deferred till the conclusion of poll in all constituencies of the five states. It said that any such hearing, if it necessarily has to happen in compliance with the mandatory provisions of law or a court order, it could be undertaken by a secretary level officer nominated by the chief secretary of the state.

The EC has asked the chief secretaries and chief electoral officers to report to it the action taken in this regard by January 17.

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Topics : #elections

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