Delhi poll body sets up flying squads, control rooms to check voter intimidation

The office of the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer has set up flying squads and control rooms across the city's seven Lok Sabha constituencies to check incidents of voter intimidation. In a public notice issued on Sunday, the poll office in Delhi said district election functionaries or returning officers will enforce the Model Code of Conduct in letter and spirit.

Polling for Delhi's seven Lok Sabha seats will be held on May 25 in the sixth phase of the general elections, with 1.47 crore people eligible to exercise their franchise, according to the schedule announced by the Election Commission of India on Saturday.

According to the notice, flying squads have been formed to register cases against both the ''giver'' and the ''taker'' of bribes and for taking action against those engaged in threat and intimidation of electors. ''All the citizens are hereby requested to refrain from any illegal activities as above and in case anybody offers any bribe or is having knowledge about the bribe or case of threat/intimidation of electors, then he/she should inform on the toll free number of the 24x7 complaint monitoring cell of the returning officers/district set up for receiving complaints,'' it said.

The poll body has also urged people to inform of incidents related to Model Code of Conduct violation, including defacement of any public property/any property in public view, distribution of cash, liquor, gifts or offering/attempting to offer bribe by candidates/political parties to the returning officers of their respective constituencies. If there is threatening/intimidation of electors and instances of other electoral malpractices, it should be reported to the district election officer, it said. According to Section 171 B of the Indian Penal Code, any person giving or accepting gratification in cash or kind during the election process, with a view to inducing any person to exercise his/her electoral right, is liable to punished with imprisonment up to one year or fine or both.

Section 171 C of the Indian Penal Code states that any person who threatens a candidate or elector or any other person with injury of any kind is liable to be punished with imprisonment up to one year or fine or both.

The Delhi poll body has also set up a 'single window system' in the offices of all seven returning officers in the city for receiving applications and issuing permissions/decisions to political parties and candidates for public meetings/rallies/processions/loudspeakers and use of vehicles for election campaigning as well as use of non commercial/remote/uncontrolled airports/helipads etc during the election period.

Political parties/candidates seeking permission has to apply online through the ''Suvidha Candidate'' mobile app or ''ENCORE'' on the Election Commission of India website at least 48 hours before an event, along with expenditure plan details. Parties/candidates seeking permission can also apply to the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Permission) at the single window in the office of the returning officer concerned.

A political party/candidate can apply through an application for permission for events/rallies/processions, scheduled to be organised within seven days of making the application (excluding the day of application).

A separate application has to be filed for more than one event on a particular day, the poll body said. ''In case an event/rally/procession etc is to be held in the area covering the jurisdiction of more than one returning officer of parliamentary constituency, then separate applications have to be filed to the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Permission) in the office of the returning officer concerned,'' it said. The permission or decision to the applicant will be issued on first come, first served basis from the single window system, it added. Polling for the 543 Lok Sabha seats in India will be held in seven phases, with the first one on April 19. The votes will be counted on June 4. The Model Code of Conduct came into force on Saturday with the announcement of Lok Sabha polls by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, who requested political parties to maintain decorum during campaigning.

Kumar also advised the parties against hate speeches, caste or religious appeals, criticism of any aspect of private life, masquerading of advertisements as news and social media posts vilifying or insulting rivals.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)