Face2News/Chandigarh
District Election Officer cum Returning Officer has issued notice on Tujesday to the Candidate Mr. Manish Tiwari and State President of Indian National Congress H.S. Luvky based on multiple complaints received in Election Department that Indian National Congress workers are engaged in the making and distribution of Congress Guarantee Cards in different areas of Chandigarh like Maloya, Daria, Kishangarh, Manimajra, Bapu Dham Colony, EWS Flats Dhanas, Ram Darbar, Indra Colony etc whereby important details of voters are being collected by inducing them to vote in favour of political party – Indian National Congress in lieu of promised guarantees in Guarantee Cards distributed by the political party – Indian National Congress.
In this regard field reports were obtained from Flying Squads by Assistant Returning Officers wherein it was reported that some of the residents have been made to fill such forms in which details like name, address, phone number etc. of the person filling the form have been taken by the party workers belonging to Indian National Congress. The reports have also highlighted the Instructions of Hon’ble Election Commission of India vide No.437/6/INST/ECI/FUNCT/MCC/2024 dated 02.05.2024 in this regard.
Vide above cited Instruction dated 02.05.2024, the Hon’ble Election Commission of India, has cited that such practices are “in the nature of inducement to the elector, aimed at enticing the individual voters to vote in a particular way in lieu of a future benefit which is a prohibited activity under Section 123 (1) of Representation of People Act, 1951 (i.e. Corrupt practice of Bribery). This is also a violation of Section 171 (B) of IPC which deals with Bribery – an offence related to Elections.”