IMPHAL, April 6: Chief electoral officer (CEO) of Manipur, Pradeep Kumar Jha on Friday said that his office is examining minutely if there is any case of violation of election Model Code of Conduct regarding the gathering of a large number of people, mostly women at the chief minister’s secretariat in Imphal following a complaint lodged by a political party.
The CEO conveyed this while addressing the media at his office in Imphal as a part of launching of a signature campaign on electoral participation in connection with the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in the state.
Jha said that his office had received a complaint from a political party regarding the gathering of a large number of people, mostly women at the chief minister’s secretariat after the announcement of the poll schedules.
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Regarding the matter, the CEO office has sought a report from the concerned district election officer (DEO) and his office is yet to receive the report.
The action to be taken up by the CEO will depend on the report to be furnished by the concerned DEO.
Once the report is received, necessary action, if there was any violation of the Model Code of Conduct of the ensuing elections, will be initiated, he said.
He reminded that the election Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has been enforced in the entire state from the very day of announcement of the schedules for the 18th Lok Sabha elections.
With the enforcement of the same, all the concerned authorities including the political parties and candidates were aware of dos and don’ts, he said.
Recently a complaint was filed by a political party urging the election authorities to look into the alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct as groups of people, mostly women, gathered at the chief minister secretariat in Imphal on a daily basis.
The CEO was referring to the recent complaint lodged by the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) to his office to look into the convergence of a large number of people at the chief minister’s secretariat if it amounted to violation of the MCC.
Jha said that his office has directed the concerned DEO to furnish a report regarding the matter. His office is yet to receive the report.
To a query raised by the reporters, the CEO said that there were instances of some pressure groups restricting election campaigns and hoisting of flags of the parties and candidates through social media posts. However, his office received no complaint from any political party or candidate so far in this regard.
Regarding the recent incidents of firings at the election campaign venues in Ukhrul district, the CEO said that the district police and the police station concerned were directed to enhance the security measures.
The CEO informed that only one complaint of violation of MCC has been lodged to his office so far and said that if the CEO office received a complaint regarding the violation of MCC, the office will refer it to the concerned DEO or the RO for taking up necessary actions. (NNN)
