Cash-for-votes a major problem in State, poll panel tells HC
CHENNAI, MARCH 27, 2019 00:00 IST
Raising awareness:Voters take pledge against cash-for-votes under the SVEEP programme implemented by ECI.File photo
Says it had to rescind three election notifications in the recent past
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday told the Madras High Court that till 2009, violence was a major issue during polls in Tamil Nadu. However, things worsened since then, with cash-for-votes permeating the electoral field.
The commission had to rescind as many as three election notifications in the State in the recent past due to complaints of large-scale corruption.
Opposing a public interest litigation petition before Justices S. Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad, ECI counsel Niranjan Rajagopalan said the commission had been doing its best to keep a check on corrupt practices by forming flying squads and election expenditure monitoring teams. Voters were also administered a pledge against cash-for-votes under the Systemic Voters’ Education and Electoral Pariticpation (SVEEP) programme, he said.
When the judges opined that anti-corruption programmes should be conducted on a continuous basis and not just during elections, the counsel said the Election Commission did not have its own manpower. It was dependent on officials belonging to the Revenue, Income Tax and Police departments and the commission loses its hold over them immediately after the elections.
One of the many prayers of the PIL petitioner, K.K. Ramesh of Madurai, was to recover from the candidate concerned or the head of the political party to which he/she belongs, all expenses incurred by the government for conducting elections that get cancelled due to bribing of voters. Stating that it may not be possible to issue such a blanket direction, the judges dismissed the PIL petition in so far as that prayer was concerned.
Measures taken
On other relief sought by the PIL petitioner, the judges recorded Mr. Rajagopalan’s submission that the court had already imposed a ban on installation of flex boards and unauthorised flag posts. Similarly, the government had banned use of plastic flags and prohibited transportation of passengers in goods vehicles. All these regulations would be strictly enforced and violators would be prosecuted, he said.
It was brought to notice that the Solid and Plastic Waste Management Rules of 2016 would have to be followed by all parties when it came to disposal of campaign material. The counsel said instructions had already been issued to political parties in the interest of protecting the environment.
“When the model code of conduct is in force, all existing laws on varied subjects will be enforced as usual through the agencies concerned. It is only on matters, such as electoral expenditure, which were not governed by any law that the Election Commission issues suitable instructions by invoking its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution,” he added.
CHENNAI, MARCH 27, 2019 00:00 IST
Raising awareness:Voters take pledge against cash-for-votes under the SVEEP programme implemented by ECI.File photo
Says it had to rescind three election notifications in the recent past
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday told the Madras High Court that till 2009, violence was a major issue during polls in Tamil Nadu. However, things worsened since then, with cash-for-votes permeating the electoral field.
The commission had to rescind as many as three election notifications in the State in the recent past due to complaints of large-scale corruption.
Opposing a public interest litigation petition before Justices S. Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad, ECI counsel Niranjan Rajagopalan said the commission had been doing its best to keep a check on corrupt practices by forming flying squads and election expenditure monitoring teams. Voters were also administered a pledge against cash-for-votes under the Systemic Voters’ Education and Electoral Pariticpation (SVEEP) programme, he said.
When the judges opined that anti-corruption programmes should be conducted on a continuous basis and not just during elections, the counsel said the Election Commission did not have its own manpower. It was dependent on officials belonging to the Revenue, Income Tax and Police departments and the commission loses its hold over them immediately after the elections.
One of the many prayers of the PIL petitioner, K.K. Ramesh of Madurai, was to recover from the candidate concerned or the head of the political party to which he/she belongs, all expenses incurred by the government for conducting elections that get cancelled due to bribing of voters. Stating that it may not be possible to issue such a blanket direction, the judges dismissed the PIL petition in so far as that prayer was concerned.
Measures taken
On other relief sought by the PIL petitioner, the judges recorded Mr. Rajagopalan’s submission that the court had already imposed a ban on installation of flex boards and unauthorised flag posts. Similarly, the government had banned use of plastic flags and prohibited transportation of passengers in goods vehicles. All these regulations would be strictly enforced and violators would be prosecuted, he said.
It was brought to notice that the Solid and Plastic Waste Management Rules of 2016 would have to be followed by all parties when it came to disposal of campaign material. The counsel said instructions had already been issued to political parties in the interest of protecting the environment.
“When the model code of conduct is in force, all existing laws on varied subjects will be enforced as usual through the agencies concerned. It is only on matters, such as electoral expenditure, which were not governed by any law that the Election Commission issues suitable instructions by invoking its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution,” he added.
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