The Election Commission on Tuesday said it disposed of 90 per cent of complaints filed by political parties over alleged violations of the model code of conduct, which came into effect following the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls on March 16.

Giving an update on the status of action taken under the model code of conduct (MCC), it said, “So far, 25 delegations from 16 political parties have met the Commission to lodge their grievances/complaints on alleged violations of Model code. Apart from this, many delegations have met at the level of Chief Electoral Officer in the States. All political parties have been promptly allocated time even at short notice and their grievances patiently heard.”

Advertisement

“Approximately 425 major complaints, excluding canvassing related or clarificatory complaints have been filed by various political parties and candidates at the level of ECI and CEOs. Of these, action has been taken (or matter disposed of) in 400 cases. Approximately 170, 95 and 160 complaints were filed by Congress, BJP and others respectively. Most of these complaints have been acted upon,” it said.

The ECI in its communiqué said a few complaints of the Congress and BJP against each other are pending alleging violation of MCC inter alia broadly in the genre of divisive statements by top star campaigners on communal, caste, regional language divide, or on sanctity of the Constitution of India.

In one of the complaints filed by Telangana Congress, Bharat Rashta Samithi (BRS) president and former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao

was barred for 48 hours from holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, shows and interviews and public utterances in media for making statements violating MCC during a press meet, it said.

“Commission expects top leaders of political parties, especially of the major national parties, most of whom are star campaigners, to set good examples of campaign discourse expected of them in the current elections. It is primarily their responsibility to correct the course of their statements/ utterances in the remaining phases to avoid any permanent dent on the delicately balanced social fabric of the country,” it said.

The poll panel also informed that a total of 4,22,432 complaints have been filed on C-Vigil App/Commission’s portal on violations for citizens as on 14t May. Of these, action has been taken in 4,22,079 cases.

Because of the robustness of C-Vigil App, there is substantial reduction in illegal hoardings, defacement of property, campaigning beyond permissible time, deployment of vehicles beyond permitted ones, it added.