EC communicates the nitty-gritty of election code to top bureaucrats

The Election Commission has swung into action to enforce the election model code of conduct in the state.

After Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat announced the schedule of polls for the state on Tuesday, the EC sent several letters to the chief secretary and the chief electoral officer of the state, asking them to enforce the code strictly and immediately.

The EC instructed that all wall writings, posters or papers, cut-outs, hoardings, banners, flags or any other form of defacement on government properties should be removed. All unauthorised political advertisement on public property and in public spaces like railway stations, bus stands, airports, government buses, electric or telephone poles, buildings of municipal and other local bodies should be removed by Thursday. Besides, all unauthorised political advertisements displayed on private property and subject to local law and direction of the court should be removed by Friday, the EC instructed in the communiqu to the CS and CEO.

The poll panel also ordered removal of all references to the ministers, politicians or political parties available on state government's official website. The CEOs have to take immediate action to remove or hide the photographs of any political functionary from official websites of the departments of the state government, the EC pointed out.

The poll panel also asked the CEOs to prepare two lists of development and construction-related activities by Thursday one compiling the works which have already started on the ground and another compiling the works which have not yet started.

The EC, in a separate communiqu, said that the party in power the Congress in case of Karnataka should ensure that "no cause" was "given for any complaint" that it had "used its official position for the purpose of its election campaign". The ministers should not combine their official visit with electioneering work and also should not make use of official machinery or personnel during electioneering work. The government transport, including official aircraft and vehicles, machinery and personnel should not be used for campaign in favour of the party in power, it said.

Besides, the "party in power" should not monopolise use of helipads and public places for holding election meetings. Other parties and candidates should be allowed the use of such places and facilities on the same terms and conditions on which they would used by the party in power, it added.