Political parties do not want any restriction in election freebies

Moneylife Digital Team 12 August 2013

Claiming that it is the right of parties to announce election manifestos, all political parties except BSP and two regional parties, opposed any restriction on them in announcing freebies

Major political parties except the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Monday opposed any restriction on them by the Election Commission (EC) in announcing freebies in election manifestos, claiming that this was their prerogative.

Representatives of five national and 23 regional parties, who attended a meeting called by the EC, conveyed their respective party's stand on the issue of framing of guidelines on election manifestos by the Commission.

Except for BSP, all major national political parties were unanimous in their views that there should be no restriction of any kind in regulating election manifestos.

Claiming that it is the right of parties to announce poll manifestos, the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Left parties are on a common platform in opposing the EC move in the wake of the Supreme Court judgment asking the Commission to frame guidelines on poll manifestos to regulate freebies.

The BSP said that there should be a ban on announcing freebies by parties ahead of polls as they disturb the level-playing field as voters can be lured by such promises of allurements which may not be implemented later.

According to reports, among the regional parties, only two — Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) and Mizo National Front (MNF), are in favour of banning freebies and framing guidelines in this regard and all others are opposed to the move.

The EC had convened a meeting of various national and regional political parties to seek their views on the issue of freebies offered by them in poll manifestos and framing of guidelines thereof.

The EC wishes to formulate a clear policy on defining freebies announced by parties ahead of elections and has studied practices adopted by different nations in this regard.

The Commission has felt that offering of freebies by parties ahead of polls disturbs the level playing field and may vitiate the atmosphere.

Last month, the apex court while disposing a special leave petition challenging the freebies announced by the Tamil Nadu government, had asked the EC to frame guidelines about such promises announced by political parties in their manifestos.

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