Hyderabad: SEC releases model code of conduct for indirect election

Hyderabad: The State Election Commission on Saturday released a model code of conduct to be followed by the officials, public representatives in the indirect election of mayor and deputy mayor scheduled on

February 11.

The State Election Commissioner C Partha Sarathi on Saturday said that the model code of conduct should be strictly followed in the indirect election process. The SEC issued guidelines with regard to model code of conduct to ensure that there are no luring of the public representatives and illegal activities.

The model code of conduct would be implemented from the date of issuing of notification and till the indirect election process gets completed. As per the code, no political parties should encourage bribing corporators directly or indirectly in the elections of mayor and deputy mayor.

The political parties or corporators should not influence the corporators vote against the whip of a party. No political parties should involve in illegal influencing of the voters during the utilisation of the vote. The political parties should not encourage the voters with posts to vote against the whip issued by the party.

The political parties or the candidates should not indulge in organising camps. There should be no campaign of the candidate on the indirect election before the 48 hours of the poll. The ban would be implemented till the election process gets completed, said the SEC.

The SEC said that if there are any illegal activities in the process, the responsible would have to face action based on the rules. In the other issues, section 612 of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act, 1955 should be followed.

Meanwhile, the GHMC has requested the SEC to appoint Hyderabad District Collector Shwetha Mohanty as the election officer of the election of mayor, deputy mayor and new body of the GHMC.