Two FIRs have been filed against Madhavi Latha, BJP’s Hyderabad candidate, for “canvassing and influencing voters in 100-meter vicinity of a polling station on poll day”, the Election Commission of India said on Tuesday.
The poll body, in a statement, listed all the actions it has taken in the last two months since the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into effect on March 16.
“Two FIRs against BJP candidate in Hyderabad PC in Telangana were filed on poll day for canvassing and influencing voters in 100 meters vicinity of polling station on poll day,” the ECI said.
On Monday, the Hyderabad Collector had posted on X that a case was registered in Malakpet Police Station against Latha “under sections 171C, 186, 505(1)(c) of IPC and Section 132 of the Representation of the People Act”.
This was in reply to a video posted on social media where Latha was seen speaking to women in burqas inside a polling station.
The EC, in the statement, also said campaign by various political parties and candidates at constituency level had largely remained violence-free, less noisy, less cluttered and intrusive, free of inducement and ostentatiousness.
“Election Commission of India is broadly satisfied with the core functioning of conduct of peaceful, inducement free elections with enthusiastic participation of voters,” the poll body added.
Also, at least 25 delegations from 16 political parties have met the commission to lodge their grievances and complaints on alleged violations of the MCC. Apart from this, many delegations have met at the level of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in the states.
“All political parties have been promptly allocated time even at short notice and their grievances patiently heard,” it added.
The poll body received about 425 major complaints, excluding canvassing related or clarificatory complaints that 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 INC, BJP and Others respectively. Most of these complaints have been acted upon,” it said.
It also said that a few complaints of Congress and BJP alleging violation of MCC against each other are pending, broadly in the genre of divisive statements by top star campaigners on communal, caste, regional language divide, or on the sanctity of Constitution of India. In the past, the commission has been issuing notices to individual leaders who had committed violations of MCC.
The EC also mentioned that peaceful voting in enthusiastic and festive spirit across the country till phase 4, especially in Manipur, Tripura, Left Wing Extremism areas, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, far-flung and inaccessible areas shows deep roots of democracy.
The poll body said on the complaints of the Congress, CEO of a Zila Parishad in a Haryana district was transferred for involvement in the election campaign for a candidate.
Also, re-poll was ordered and entire polling and police parties were placed under suspension after Congress filed a complaint of capturing of a polling booth and tampering of EVM in Dahod constituency in Gujarat. The state authorities concerned have been directed to initiate departmental proceedings against them.
The MCC will stay in force until elections are completed and results are announced.
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