NEW DELHI: The
Election Commission of India
(
ECI
) has issued unprecedented orders to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda and
Congress
president Mallikarjun Kharge, directing them to ensure their star campaigners maintain
decorum
and refrain from divisive
discourse
during
campaigning
.
This is the poll body’s orders to the parties in the wake of plummeting quality of campaigning led by their star campaigners.
The EC has come down heavily on both the BJP and the Congress for campaigning along caste, community, language, and religion.
Here’s what EC has directed to the parties-
- EC asked parties to refrain from religious and communal overtones in their campaigning.
- EC asked the BJP to stop campaign speeches that may lead to division in society.
- EC directed BJP president to convey all star campaigners to not make any speeches and statements, which may divide the society; refrain from any campaigning methods/ utterences along religious/ communal lines.
- EC directed the Congress to ensure that star campaigners do not make statements that give false impressions such as the Constitution of India may be abolished or sold.
- On the Agniveer scheme, the poll body asked the Congress campaigners or candidates not to politicise the defence forces and to not make potentially divisive statements regarding the socio-economic composition of the defence forces.
- No party or candidate shall include in any activity which may aggravate existing difference or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes, communities, religious or linguistics.
- EC also said that the BJP and the Congress will not be allowed to weaken the heritage of quality electoral experience of the Indian voter.
- EC bared all allegations by the BJP and Congress against each other and rejected their defences.
- The Commission pointed out that the party in power should have extra responsibility during poll time and said that there should not be any unlimited extra space for the Opposition as well.
The Commission has also observed that India’s sociocultural milieu is an enduring preserve and cannot be made a casualty of elections. “India’s socio-cultural milieu is an enduring preserve that cannot be made a casualty to elections, observes ECI. Big two parties not allowed to weaken the heritage of quality electoral experience of Indian voter,” EC said in its order.
The first five phases of polling were held on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20. The next two rounds of voting will be held on May 25 and June 1. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases, in a six-week marathon running from April 19 to June 1. The results will be announced on June 4.
(With inputs from agencies)
