The Hindu : EC to issue new guidelines on campaigning

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004

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EC to issue new guidelines on campaigning

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI, MARCH 22. The Election Commission plans to issue new guidelines to political parties on the need to conduct a dignified campaign in the backdrop of complaints against the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, for persistently raising the foreign origin of the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, in the run-up to the general elections.

Highly-placed sources in the Commission indicated to The Hindu its thinking on the complaints lodged by the Democratic Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu against Ms. Jayalalithaa; the AIADMK manifesto includes Ms. Sonia's foreign origin and the Chief Minister raises it in her election campaign. The sources said: "We have scrutinised the manifesto. Being a political document, foreign origin may be a political issue, which is nothing objectionable. But what is worrying us most is the sustained personal attack of Ms. Jayalalithaa in her public meetings and [the] election campaign against Ms. Sonia Gandhi on the question of foreign origin."

Asked about the proposed action, the sources said the model code of conduct was clear that political parties should avoid personal attacks during election campaign.

Since many leaders and parties were not scrupulously following this, the Commission was likely to issue new guidelines.

Asked about the AIADMK's complaint against the DMK alleging that it was mobilising election funds from aspiring candidates in excess of the prescribed limits per constituency, the sources said the Commission would seek an explanation from the DMK.

Further action would depend on its explanation.

The Commission clarified that there was no ban on undertaking drought relief works by the State Governments as long as the officials carried out such works without Ministers' participation. The clarification follows the Karnataka Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna's statement that the Commission was not allowing the State Government to take up drought relief works.

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