Kohima: Following a complaint filed by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Nagaland Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vyasan R, on Thursday, cautioned Congress candidate S Supongmeren Jamir against appealing to communal feelings for securing votes.
President of the BJP, Dimapur district, Imchainba, had lodged a complaint addressed to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday, through the CEO’s office at around 5:30PM. The complaint was subsequently forwarded to the Commission.
According to the CEO, the complaint enclosed letters written by Jamir, Congress (1) to the Dimapur Tzurangkong Council Union and the Dimapur Lanpangkong Council Union.
On Thursday, the DC and DEO Dimapur was directed to verify the allegations made in the complaint letter and submit factual report to this office. The genuine nature of the letters was confirmed by report received from the Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer, Dimapur.
The letters (as freely translated from Ao dialect by the CEO’s office) stated “other religious believers are being threatened and being persecuted” and that “at present BJP Government is in power and through them BJP and RSS are working together to make India, one nation, one culture and one religion only.”
The letters also stated, “In the forthcoming MP election leaded by the BJP Government, if voted to power again, it will be very difficult to for our people to live on” and concluded “I would like to urge all the people of Ao tribes in Dimapur and its periphery to think wisely and cast your precious vote prayerfully in order to have a better tomorrow.”
The CEO said that the letters may be interpreted as an appeal by the candidate to vote on the ground of his religion for furthering the prospects of his election.
As per sub-section 3 of Section 123 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, appealing by a candidate to vote on the ground of his religion is a corrupt practice, the CEO said.
The CEO cited Clause (1) of Part I General Conduct of the Model Code of Conduct for Guidance of Political Parties and Candidates, Clause (3) of Part I General Conduct of the Model Code of Conduct for Guidance of Political Parties and Candidates which states that there shall be no appeal to caste or communal feelings for securing votes.
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Vyasan also pointed the Commission’s advisory issued to political parties on March 1 regarding plummeting levels of political campaign discourse inrecently held elections, which read ” No appeal shall be made on the basis of caste/communal feelings of the electors. No activity, which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes/communities/religious/linguistic groups, shall be attempted.”
As Nagaland is set to go to polls on April 19, the CEO alerted the urgent need to maintain decorum during the remaining hours left for polling to commence.
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