CHENNAI : Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said though the voters have the right to know about the feasibility of implementation of assurances made by political parties ahead of the elections, the matter is currently sub judice.
Responding to queries regarding poll promises here on Saturday, Kumar said the Election Commission of India (ECI) had created a ‘proforma’ to make parties disclose details of their election promises. “However, this is also related to litigation pending in the court,” he said.
Kumar was addressing the media after two days of consultations with representative of political parties, district election officers, senior bureaucrats and police officers. He stressed the commission has absolutely zero tolerance towards distribution of money or distribution of freebies in any form.
“Everyone, who is involved in the election process, is being directed to take extremely stringent action if there is any case of distribution of money. We have been asked to be extremely vigilant and to curb the illegal flow of money from one place to another. The officials have also been directed to act tough if money is already being stacked somewhere before the election.”
He further added the movement of the vehicles which carry cash for ATMs will also be controlled within the time frame and the movement of ambulances also will be closely monitored to prevent them from being misused for transporting cash.
When asked about the issue of revealing donors who provided electoral bonds to political parties as directed by the Supreme Court, Kumar affirmed the ECI’s commitment to transparency, stating, “It has been our continuous stand, and we will facilitate transparency in whatever form it comes.”
Regarding the demand from political parties for a single-phase election in the state, Kumar said most parties have sought a single-phase poll. He said the demand will be considered when deciding the election schedule.
Dismissing concerns over the malfunctioning or misuse of EVMs, he noted the ECI website contained over 100 questions and answers addressing the functioning of EVMs and VVPATs.