Ahead of Phase 1 polls,EC asks parties to behave

“Many important leaders of political parties in their election speeches are making intemperate and derogatory remarks attacking the personal character or personal conduct of leaders and candidates of rival parties,or making highly provocative and inflammatory statements that have the effect of inciting communal hatred…

“The open distribution of money,justified in the name of ‘local customs’,is also most deplorable,” the EC said.

The Commission underscored that it expects that “all political parties,their leaders,workers and supporters as well as their candidates shall scrupulously observe the Model Code of Conduct in letter and spirit”.

And that “it sincerely hopes that they will be guided by the advice of the Honourable Supreme Court of India in conducting their electoral campaigns and set high standards of electoral morality.”

“Violations of the Model Code of Conduct and,in several instances,the law of the land,seem to be turning into something of a trend,which if unchecked,is bound to seriously damage the election process and set a deplorable precedent for future elections,” the Commission warned.

With just three days to go before the first phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections,the EC is spending a lot of time watching compact discs (CDs) sent from all parts of the country,alleging violations of the model code. On an average,the EC has been receiving “four-five such CDs a day,” besides written complaints,sources said.

Most complaints pertain to alleged hate speeches or personal slander. On Sunday,the EC viewed a CD of the BJP candidate from Kandhamal,Ashok Sahu,making an allegedly communal speech,before directing Orissa authorities to file a criminal case against him.

Instances of a BJP candidate from Uttar Kannada in Karnataka,or the Congress minority cell chief in Chandigarh too fell in the category of alleged hate speeches that eventually earned the EC’s censure.

A CD that reached the EC from Assam showed Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi defending himself against charges of “availing of official facilities while on a private visit to Kolkata”. The EC expressed its displeasure to Gogoi after going through the CD and report sent by the state chief electoral officer,sources said.

In another instance,Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was found to be using his official vehicle while visiting a gurdwara. He was advised to be careful in future.

The chief electoral officer found an Orissa officer to have initiated developmental works “with retrospective effect”. The violation provoked immediate departmental action against the official.

On some occasions,the EC has found it “taxing” to go through the CDs. Watching a video of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s speech,wherein he was alleged to have made statements against a woman IAS officer,the EC found it “extremely difficult to decipher his language”. They had to requisition transcripts before action could be initiated.

While most complaints are forwarded by state chief electoral officers or political parties,the EC has also taken suo motu notice of certain violations — in the case of Varun Gandhi’s alleged hate speech,for instance.

On EC instructions,every political event is being videographed. In Sultanpur (under which most of Amethi,where Rahul Gandhi is contesting),district magistrate Radha Krishna Singh said “30-40 teams” have been constituted to record political events. In Gandhinagar,where L K Advani is contesting,Collector Sanjeev Kumar said the number of videography teams “could be bigger than 30-40”.