Bihar: Opposition parties ask Election Commission to fix limit for digital campaign expenditure

Nine Opposition parties, including the Congress, RJD and CPI(M), held a digital meeting with the Election Commission and demanded a level playing field for all in the Bihar Assembly elections and fixing a limit for expenditure on digital campaigns.

The Opposition leaders also asked the EC about the arrangements it would be making for the nearly 7.5 crore voters, including physical distancing, and said people would need clarity so that wholesome participation of the majority is ensured.

In the meeting, the leaders demanded that the EC create conditions for the usual campaign ensuring maximum voter participation, free and fair elections, a level playing field for all contestants, fixing a limit for expenditure on digital campaigns and penalise all seeking communal/social polarisation.

"The people also expect the Commission to ensure and satisfy the people that the entire poll exercise does not become a super spreader event," the leaders said in a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora.

The letter was signed by CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, Congress General Secretary Shaktisinh Gohil, CPI's D Raja, RJD's Manoj Jha and CPI(ML)'s Deepankar Bhattacharya, among others. The leaders had met to finalise the memorandum prior to the meeting.

Sources said Arora told the leaders that the EC acknowledges the importance of discussions with political parties and the Commission would hold further deliberations on issues as and when there is a need.

In an all-party meeting called by the EC in Bihar earlier, the leaders said the BJP and JD(U) pushed for digital campaign and prohibiting traditional election campaign methods.

However, the leaders said it would be a "travesty of unpardonable proportion to officially legitimise a mode of election campaign which is not only severely limited by its reach but exclusionary by its design".

According to the leaders, almost two-third of the electorate will be left out of the process if the digital campaign is endorsed, as only a few have smartphones in possession. "Uncaring about this, the parties in power have kick-started their virtual blitzkrieg while the EC is yet to fix the limit of expenditure of this virtual political campaign," they said.

The leaders said the EC will have to engage with the questions related to fears of whether elections held in such a manner that fails to ensure free and equal participation of the voters under the pandemic circumstances can be considered free and fair.

"It is in this context that we urge upon your esteemed office to take a proactive approach to prioritise the health and well-being of the people of Bihar as well as of the spirit of democracy, and evolve a mechanism which protects the health of the democracy as well as the health of the people," they said.