No Campaigning on Communal Lines, ECI Tells BJP, Asks Congress to Stop ‘False Statement’ about Constitution

The Election Commission of India on Wednesday rapped the two major national political parties – the BJP and Congress – saying they are not allowed to weaken the heritage of quality electoral experience of Indian voters.

The commission’s unprecedented orders came in the “wake of plummeting quality of campaigning led by their star campaigners”.

Among the common content in the two letters sent to the BJP and Congress was the idea that the political parties have the task of nurturing leaders for the country for the present and future.

“They cannot afford to be lax in any manner in enforcing discipline and conduct among the cadre in the high stake electoral space; especially with reference to senior members; It is expected of you to use the strength of your office and intra-party consultations to advise counsel oblige the listed star campaigners of your party be careful in their campaign utterances and correct their discourses,” the letters said.

The communications were extensions of the ECI’s letters sent last month to Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda and his Congress counterpart Mallikarjun Kharge.

The poll body also said that the utterances of the concerned star campaigners follow patterns and create narratives that can be damaging beyond the model code of conduct (MCC) period.

“Technical loopholes or extreme interpretations of other political party utterances cannot discharge star campaigners from the core responsibility of their own content which ought to be corrective to the ongoing discourse and not further plummeting the quality of campaign discourse,” the ECI said.

The poll body reminded the BJP and Congress that elections are a process when political parties not only contest to win but also “avail the opportunity to present themselves in their ideal best for the voting community to experience, emulate and build hopes on”.

“The second part constitutes the more precious heritage of Indian elections and our electoral democracy and this should not be allowed to be weakened by anyone, including your party,” the ECI said.

Both the party heads were asked to issue formal notes of caution to the star campaigners “to maintain decorum in their utterances”.

TO BJP
In the six-page letter to Nadda, the poll body directed the party and its star campaigners “to refrain from any campaigning methods/utterances along religious/communal lines”.

In the 10-point directions to the BJP, the commission said it expects the ruling party at the Centre to fully align the campaign methods to the practical aspects of the composite and sensitive fabric of India.

The poll body directed the BJP and everyone concerned to follow the MCC in general.

“Direct all your star campaigners to refrain from making any statement, which is prohibited in Clause (1) of General Conduct of MCC which provides that ‘No Party or candidate shall include in any activity which may aggravate existing difference or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic’,” the letter said.

The ECI also directed Nadda as party president to convey to all star campaigners not to make “speeches and statements, which may divide the society”.

TO CONGRESS
In the five-page letter to Kharge, the poll body asked him to convey to all star campaigners that “they do not make statements which give false impression such as that the Constitution of India may be abolished or sold”.

Further, it also said that parties should not involve the activities of the defence forces in the campaign and “not to make potentially divisive statements regarding socio-economic composition of defence forces”.

UNPRECEDENTED ORDERS
It is the first time that the poll body has had to issue such letters to the two biggest parties during elections, sources said. They added that the letters were issued “in the wake of plummeting quality of campaigning led by their star campaigners”.

In the letters, the commission bares all allegations by the BJP and Congress against each other and rejects their defences.

It also points to the extra responsibility on the party in power at the poll time, saying there’s no unlimited extra space for the opposition either.

In April, taking a different approach to the model code of conduct violations by leaders of political parties, the Election Commission of India wrote to the presidents of the BJP and Congress, saying that while the individual star campaigners would continue to remain responsible for speeches made, the poll body would address the president or head of the political party on a case-to-case basis. The parties were asked to file their replies by April 29.

While Kharge responded to the letter on May 6, Nadda wrote back to the ECI on May 13.

The MCC will remain in force till the elections are completed. Two phases of polling are left before the counting of votes on June 4.