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Delhi poll panel, MCD at loggerheads

Staff Reporter

The issue involves illegal hoardings, banners

NEW DELHI: The Delhi State Election Commission and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi are at loggerheads over filing of FIRs against political parties, leaders and contestants of the upcoming municipal elections in the Capital for putting up illegal hoardings and banners.

In a letter to the civic body, the State Election Commission has asked the MCD to file FIRs against specific individuals and parties so that strict action could be initiated against them. However, the MCD authorities are not keen on registering such FIRs as they do not want to enter into a legal tangle with the electoral contestants and political parties.

So far the MCD has filed nearly 150 FIRs, all against anonymous persons, for putting up illegal hoardings and banners in various parts of the city. But the Commission has asked the MCD authorities to nail down individuals so that penal action could be initiated against them.

According to sources in the Commission, violation of the model code of conduct for the elections could lead to cancellation of nominations of candidates. The Commission can also impose heavy penalty and other penal action against defaulters. However, in the absence of names of the "guilty", they are unable to take action against the candidates and political parties violating the election norms.

On the other hand, the MCD authorities say they do not want to court legal trouble by filing FIRs against specific persons. The MCD is also not registering FIRs in each and every case and restricting itself to filing complaints with the police only in cases wherever it feels it is necessary.

Senior MCD officials said filing FIRs against specific individuals or political parties would force them to visit courts again and again for hearing. Moreover, hoardings and banners are not always put up by the contestants and parties; sometimes individual supporters also put them up. Under such circumstances, it is very difficult to file FIRs against specific persons.

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