Probing Elections: Not correct to take steps that can overlap legal process says EC

New Delhi: Amid the Opposition charge of being targeted by Central probe agencies in the poll season, the Election Commission on Tuesday said it is committed to protecting level-playing field but asserted that it is not correct to take any step that can overlap the legal and judicial process. Several political parties from the INDIA bloc had approached the poll panel seeking its intervention in the alleged misuse of probe agencies by the government to target their leaders over graft.

Following the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam, the Opposition parties had mounted renewed attack on the government for its alleged bid to silence their leaders ahead of parliamentary elections.

In a statement, the EC said it was guided by constitutional wisdom when presented with “live situations” involving political persons which have been under active consideration and orders of the courts based on criminal investigations.

“While the Commission remained unwaveringly committed to protection of level playing field and campaign entitlement of political parties and candidates, it has not found it correct to take any step that could overlap or overrun the legal judicial process,” it said.

The poll panel said though it is not obliged to do so, it has put in public domain, for the first time, its enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during first month of its operation, along with details of action taken.

The EC said its move will help address and stop “misgivings and insinuations” coming from certain quarters, “however small or limited”.

During the one-month period of the model code, 16 delegations from seven political parties met the commission to lodge their complaints on alleged violations of poll code and related matters. Many delegations met its chief electoral officers at the state level.

Nearly 200 complaints have been filed by various political parties and candidates at the level of EC and across states.