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‘Another attack on democracy’: Opposition slams EC over new move
In a note updated on its website, ECI said it “proposes to supplement existing MCC guidelines and mandate political parties to inform voters at large about the financial ramifications of their promises in manifesto” in a move that it said was “aimed at assessing feasibility of implementation of such promises...”
A proposal by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to introduce an affidavit to be filed by political outfits as part of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) on the fiscal impact of poll promises sparked strong reactions on Tuesday, with some opposition parties saying the poll watchdog may have overstepped its remit.
In a note updated on its website, ECI said it “proposes to supplement existing MCC guidelines and mandate political parties to inform voters at large about the financial ramifications of their promises in manifesto” in a move that it said was “aimed at assessing feasibility of implementation of such promises...” The poll watchdog sought feedback from parties by October 19, after which it may make required amendments in the MCC.
But some opposition parties said ECI was entering an arena that should be the domain of political parties.
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“This is simply not the business of EC. It goes against the very essence and spirit of competitive politics and will be yet another nail on the coffin of democracy in India,” said Congress general secretary in-charge of communication Jairam Ramesh. “None of the welfare and social development schemes that have been transformational over the decades would ever have become a reality if such a bureaucratic approach had been in place.”
Derek O’Brien, Trinamool Congress’s parliamentary leader in Rajya Sabha, linked ECI’s move to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent comments on freebies (or “revdis”, in an allusion to a popular sweet) offered by political parties.
“What’s going on here! First, the Prime Minister proposes, then the Election Commission disposes? The Constitution outlines the role of ECI to make it one of the nation’s most revered institutions. It should not do anything which erodes its credibility and changes ECI from ‘extremely credible’ to ‘extremely compromised’,” O’Brien said.
On July 16 this year, Modi said in a public address that votes were being collected by distributing freebies. “This revdi culture is very dangerous for the development of the country,” he added. Revdis are typically religious offerings or donations.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not comment on ECI’s move till late in the evening.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has been at the centre of the freebies debate and faced criticism from the BJP for its promises of subsidised power and water services, also did not comment. In the past, the party has said that the debate on freebies was linked to the upcoming elections in Gujarat, where it aims to challenge the BJP. The party has said in the past that items of necessity -- such as food, education, health care, power, water -- should be counted as freebies.
Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Manoj Jha said ECI had entered a territory it should steer clear of. “There are several institutions that have in the last 7-8 years failed to understand their mandate. This straight directive from the EC is encroachment on a territory that does not belong to them.”
The Rajya Sabha MP also criticised the use of the term “revdi” . “The PM should clarify what is our commitment as a welfare state and how to look at the directive principles of state policy,” he said. “And in view of the directive principles and the preamble we should stop using the term and ECI should avoid entering this territory in spite of the temptation…”
Samajwadi Party national secretary Rajendra Chaudhary said it was “obvious” that all parties forming the government would make a provision from the budget on welfare measures. “ECI comes up with such things while there is a question mark on its constitutional responsibility of conducting free and fair polls,” Chaudhary said.
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The document updated on the ECI website carried a “Pro-forma for Political Parties under MCC -- Submission of details of physical coverage and financial implications of promises made in the manifesto” that listed the promises, the extent of coverage, the number of beneficiaries, and the likely spend. It carried another form that sought details on how the party planned to meet the expense that listed revenue receipts, expenditure, GSDP, the source of funds for meeting the enhanced expenditure (including increasing taxes or borrowings), and the impact on fiscal sustainability ratios.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) agreed that freebies may be harmful but said ECI may not have the authority to introduce an amendment. BJD Rajya Sabha member Prasanna Acharya said parties had to find out ways for fulfilling the promise. “However, I agree that political parties should not make promises of doling out freebies that would destroy the economy of the state or the country,” said Acharya.
The issue of freebies has emerged in public discourse in recent months with PM Modi and the BJP attacking some parties for making unrealistic promises to mislead voters in state and national elections. On the other hand, parties such as the AAP in Delhi and the DMK in Tamil Nadu describe this narrative as an attack on fiscal federalism, and argue that the Centre launches schemes that the BJP uses to garner votes but attacks opposition parties when they do the same.
To be sure, several experts have pointed out that the reckless use of freebies for elections has harmed the fiscal health of many states.
