ECI Directs Political Parties To Refrain From Enrolling Voters For Post-Election Beneficiary Schemes

NEW DELHI: In a move aimed towards upholding the integrity of the electoral process, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued an advisory on May 2 directing all the political parties to refrain from registering voters for post-election beneficiary-oriented schemes in the name of conducting surveys.

The ECI issued this directive after taking into cognizance the activities by political parties and candidates seeking details of voters under the guise of various surveys for their proposed beneficiary schemes, as a corrupt practice of bribery under Section 123(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

In its latest notification, the polling body categorically stated that "some political parties and candidates have been engaging in activities that blur the lines between legitimate surveys and partisan efforts to register individuals for post-election beneficiary-oriented schemes".

After taking into account various instances in the ongoing General Elections 2024, a directive has been issued by the polling body to all the national and state political parties on May 2.

It advised them to immediately cease and desist from any activities that involve registering individuals for post-election beneficiary-oriented schemes through any advertisements/survey/App.

According to the Election Commission, the act of inviting/calling upon individual electors to register for post-election benefits may create an impression of the requirement of one-to-one transactional relationship between the elector and the proposed benefit and has the potential to generate quid-pro-quo arrangement for voting in a particular way thereby leading to inducement.

Furthermore, the EC while acknowledging that generic and general electoral promises are in the realm of permissibility, noted that such activities as mentioned in table below obscure the distinction between authentic surveys and biased attempts to enroll people in programs for political gain, all while masquerading as legitimate survey activities or efforts to inform about government programs or party agendas related to potential individual benefits.

In this regard, the polling agency has instructed all District Election Officers to take appropriate actions against any such advertisements within the statutory provisions namely Section 127A of the Representation of People's Act, 1951, 123 (1) of the Representation of People's Act, 1951, and Section 171 (B) IPC.

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