New Delhi: The Election Commission did not act on at least 70 queries and requests from the Narendra Modi government and states about the model code of conduct this Lok Sabha election season — not for any problematic content, but because they were not filed in the proper format.
In a letter to the cabinet secretary, dated 10 April, the Election Commission (EC) said all requests and queries that don’t follow the format laid down in the Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure will meet a similar fate.
The model code of conduct kicks in with the announcement of election dates, and seeks to restrict governments from using state machinery for political purposes.
While it is in place, the governments, at the centre and in states, often approach the EC for permissions relating to day-to-day decisions, to be sure they don’t violate the code.
For instance, the Information & Broadcasting Ministry had sought the poll panel’s permission to hold the National Film Awards ceremony on 3 May, during the general election, before deciding to postpone it.
The commission studies each of the requests and queries, then conveys its decisions and answers to the ministry, government department or state in question.
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The proper format
The 12th edition of the Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure states that all communications to the Election Commission should be made to the deputy election commissioner or secretary of the EC, and not to the chief election commissioner or election commissioners.
It also states that the correspondence should be made in the form of a letter and not through office memorandums (OMs).
In the letter to the cabinet secretary, written by deputy election commissioner Dr Sandeep Saxena, the EC said it was still receiving office memorandums and letters addressed to the chief election commissioner or the election commissioners.
The EC said that ministries should appoint senior officials as nodal authorities for sending across such references to the EC, in order to streamline the process. Following the EC’s letter, the cabinet secretary issued an office memorandum seeking “strict compliance” of the poll panel’s instructions.
An online portal for requests, queries
The EC said in its letter that it had decided to launch an online portal to process queries and requests — mentioned as “references” in the missive — from government departments while the code of conduct is in effect.
The portal, it added, would help ministries and departments upload their queries and requests, track the status of the EC’s response, and even download the decisions and replies of the commission.
It added that the commission needed at least 72 hours to process such references, and only in extremely urgent cases will a reply be issued in 48 hours.
Also read: Why Model Code of Conduct for elections cannot act against offending politicians