The visiting team of the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday met the leaders of political parties — the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the Congress, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — in separate meetings.
AAP and Congress leaders expressed apprehension about misuse of state machinery in Punjab Assembly polls. At the same time, Congress sought “immediate imposition of model code” to ensure a free and fair election.
On the other hand, the ruling SAD sought curbing of paid news and enhancement of cash carrying limit. The party also complained about the sate Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh’s “threats” to the government officers.
ECI’s nine-member, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi, arrived in the state capital city, Chandigarh, on Sunday for its three-day visit to review election preparations in Punjab.
Congress party’s delegation, led by its vice-president Amar Singh, urged the ECI to immediately impose the code of conduct in the state to ensure a free and fair election, citing “total politicisation of the state's administrative and law and order machinery”.
Conveying their “apprehensions” to the ECI, the Congress leaders called for immediate imposition of the Code of Conduct to bring the “deteriorating” political situation in the state under some control.
The model code of conduct comes into force immediately with the announcement of election.
The delegation also asked the ECI to take measures to ensure there is no “misuse” of the state machinery by the Akali leadership.
They also demanded an independent third-party review and scrutiny of the voter lists, which had been prepared and revised by anganwadi workers and were “replete with bogus voter names”.
Congress leaders also highlighted to the EC the issue of "politicisation of the media".
Meanwhile, AAP’s delegation, led by its legal cell head Himmat Singh Shergill also met the EC team, alleging rampant use of money and muscle power during elections.
“It is a track record in Punjab elections that there is a rampant use of money and muscle power to win elections. And the government machinery is also misused for the distribution of cash to voters near elections,” Shergill alleged.
“We have urged the Commission to deploy paramilitary forces in strength before elections in the state in order to stop this illegal practice for ensuring free and fair polls,” he said.
AAP, which is eyeing to wrest power from SAD-BJP regime, urged the EC not to allot an election symbol to any party which is similar to its own symbol — broom. “We have sought that any symbol which looks similar to our symbol ‘broom’ like a torch and others should not be issued to any party,” he said.
SAD delegation, comprising party secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and party secretary and state education minister Daljit Singh Cheema, urged the ECI to minimize the period between announcement of election and date of polling as well as the period extending from day of polling to declaration of results.
“Whereas the longer duration of code of conduct unnecessary affects the developmental activity of the state, long delays in declaration of results creates a period of uncertainty which is not good for the state of Punjab,” they said.
Presenting SAD’s views on the coming Vidhan Sabha polls, the leaders urged the ECI to curb the menace of paid news with a firm hand which is being misused by many parties in the elections.
The party also urged the ECI to increase the limit of cash carrying during the period of code of conduct. “It has been seen in the previous elections that ordinary businessmen faced harassment due to the lower limit fixed by the ECI at the time of election. It adversely affected business activity in the state,” they said.
SAD leaders also demanded that procedure of taking NOC for organizing election rallies and other meeting should be simplified so that candidates do not face harassment during election campaign.
The party also brought to the notice of the Commission that certain leaders of various political parties are indulging in “false and malicious campaign” amounting to character assassination of ruling party leaders which should be curbed with firm hands.
Complaining about “threats” issued by Capt Amarinder to the police officials and other government functionaries, they alleged that it was made “with an intention to insult and demoralize them and demanded strict action to stop this without any delay”.
The party also assured the ECI that being a responsible political party, the SAD will fully cooperate with the ECI in conduct of free and fair elections.
ECI team, on Monday will have a meeting with Deputy Commissioners, SSPs, nodal officers of narcotic control bureau, state narcotic control bureau, income tax and excise and taxation department.
On the last day of its visit on October 25, the team will meet Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab and other senior officials and is expected to hold media interaction later that day.