With the enforcement of model code of conduct coming into force in view of the Vidhan Sabha elections 2017, the additional ditrict magistrate (administration) of Dehradun, Harbeer Singh and the Dehradun superintendent of police (City) Ajay Singh jointly led a team which conducted a vehicle checking drive and removed name plates of political leaders from their government-provided vehicles on Tuesday. Some political party leaders were found to have fixed their party flag on the vehicle without seeking permission from the election officer so these were also removed by the team members.
The ADM said that there have been about three dozen cases of name plates and flags kept in vehicles by leaders of political parties were removed since the enforcement of the model code of conduct in the city. Without seeking permission from the election returning officer, leaders of any political party or independent candidates can not display their party flag on their vehicles.
Meanwhile, the SP (City) Ajay Singh said that on Tuesday, a drive was conducted at Clock Tower and name plates displaying varied titles of leaders of Samajwadi Party, Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena, Bahujan Samaj Party, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and others were removed for not meeting the conditions fixed. The drive will be continued in the city in the coming days, added the SP. In addition to this, the police station officers have also been directed to conduct vehicle checking drives in their jurisdictional limit and remove name plates of political leaders from their government-provided vehicles. Using name plates on the vehicles is in complete violation of model code of conduct for the Vidhan Sabha election 2017, he added.
While the local administration and police focused on removing the varied items from vehicles of politicians, observers point out that the authorities appear to be adopting a comparatively relaxed approach considering the blatant defacement of public and private properties by those pasting or hanging posters and banners eliciting support for political leaders, ticket hopefuls for the Assembly election and those who have decided to contest the polls as independent candidates. There is hardly any locality in the provision state capital where one cannot see the posters, banners of other forms of publicity material being used by the politicians and their supporters to maximise their ‘popularity’ either to impress their party leadership into awarding them a ticket to contest or to elicit support from the general public.