Why Election Commission is having to fight ahead of 2019 Madhya Pradesh polls
While a lot has been written about the impact of the results of two assembly segments in MP on the politics of the state, one of the important takeaways from the Kolaras and Mungaoli by-polls held in MP recently was that after many years one got to see a strong Election Commission of India (ECI) at work. An assertive ECI not only looked into complaints but acted on them and even issued censures to ministers and the CM over their statements during the campaign for the by-polls.
This is perhaps in great measure due to the office of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) being presently held by OP Rawat, a no nonsense MP cadre officer who, throughout the length of his career in MP, was known for doing what the permanent executive is ideally expected to do — to give advice without fear or favour. During the campaign for the by-polls, the ECI, under Rawat, ordered the transfer of DM, Ashok Nagar, BS Jamod, in whose district Mungaoli is located after it was found that nearly 1800 Absent Shifted and Dead (ASD) voters existed in the constituency.
The ECI ordered the transfer after it was found that the ASD voters existed even after many rounds of checking — the responsibility for which rests with the DM. The ECI also ordered registration of a case against a BJP MLA who was found in Kolaras constituency after campaigning had ended. The ECI issued notices to CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and ministers Maya Singh and Yashodhara Raje on complaints of violation of model code of conduct. Later, the ECI censured these leaders.
The action by the ECI enraged the ruling party so much that a delegation of its leaders stormed into CEO, MP Saleena Singh’s chamber to protest the ECI action, and accused the commission of only addressing complaints by the Congress.
More importantly, the MP government, led by its CM, seems to be in a mood to taunt the ECI. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited Kolaras constituency after the defeat (the Congress won both seats) and announced a Rs 19 crore dam near Berkhedi village in Shivpuri district. While doing so, he made it a point to state that the dam was being sanctioned as the area had witnessed almost 90 per cent voting in favour of the BJP. During the campaign it was for statements like these, when water was promised only if the people voted BJP, that the ECI had issued notices and censures.
In Shivpuri, the DM Tarun Rathi informed the CEO office that there were about 18,000 ASD voters. By the time information reached the ECI, the model code of conduct had been lifted. It would be interesting to see if the state government acts on the advice of the ECI vis-a-vis the continuation of the collector in his post. Going by previous records, the likelihood of the state government not acting on the ECI’s advice is high. Earlier too, the state government cocked a snook at the ECI when it posted back Bhind collector Ilaiyaraja after the commission had ordered his transfer while the model code was in force during the by elections in Ater segment in Bhind district.
Why is CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who otherwise is not known to escalate matters, behaving in a belligerent way, wanting to almost challenge the ECI? There must be reasons, for in politics there is hardly anything that is inexplicable.
MP has assembly elections at the end of 2018. An assertive ECI taking on an entrenched and politically committed bureaucracy in MP would be an evenly matched battle.
(Courtesy of Mail Today)