The EC had taken the same stand on a complaint received during the Lok Sabha elections last year against the Congress’s NYAY scheme that guaranteed a minimum income of Rs 6,000 per month, or Rs 72,000 a year, for 25 crore people.
The BJP’s promise of free Covid-19 vaccine to the people of Bihar in its election manifesto is not violative of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), the Election Commission (EC) has said in its decision on a complaint filed against the announcement last week.
The EC’s clean chit came in response to a representation by RTI activist Saket Gokhale, alleging that the announcement was a gross violation of the Union government’s powers, and an attempt to mislead voters, given that the vaccine policy is not decided yet.
The EC had taken the same stand on a complaint received during the Lok Sabha elections last year against the Congress’s NYAY scheme that guaranteed a minimum income of Rs 6,000 per month, or Rs 72,000 a year, for 25 crore people.
The Commission’s reply to Gokhale, dated October 28, quotes three provisions from the MCC: that state election manifestos should not contain anything repugnant to the Constitution; should avoid making promises that vitiate the purity of the electoral process or exert undue influence on the voter; and should reflect the rationale behind promises. The reply also points out that manifestos are always issued for a specific election.
“In view of the above, no violation of any of the provisions of Model Code of Conduct has been observed in the instant matter,” states the EC’s reply to Gokhale.
courtesy Indian Express
