Saturday 20th Jun, 2026
Election Commission’s order being brazenly flouted by J&K Govt: Panthers Party
Jammu, Jan 19: (UNI) Expressing concern over the blatant violation of the orders of Election Commission of India over the issue of invocation of Model Code of Conduct by the state government. Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party on Saturday sought immediate indulgence of the top Election Authority of the country in the interests of free and fair elections in the state.
He was referring to the ECI’s directives on the applicability of the MCC to be followed by a caretaker government in cases of pre-mature dissolution of a State Assembly till the formation of new government.
“ECI’s order issued last year, categorically stated that the Model Code of Conduct will come into operation with immediate effect following the premature dissolution of Assembly in the State concerned and shall continue to be in force till the completion of the election to constitute the new Legislative Assembly,” JKNPP Chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh here told reporters.
He said that the directives further stated that the provisions of Part-VII of the MCC shall apply on the caretaker state government as well as on the central government in the matters relating to that state, adding that neither the caretaker state government nor the central government shall announce any new schemes, projects etc in the state or undertake any of the activities prohibited under the aforesaid Part-VII of the MCC.
“ECI categorically conveyed its order through a letter addressed to Union Cabinet Secretary and all the Chief Secretaries of States and UTs quoting “The caretaker government should merely carry on the day-to-day affairs, desist from taking any major policy situation decision and run the administration for the purpose of free, fair, transparent and robust electoral process”.
In view of MCC coming into operation from the day of premature dissolution of Legislative Assembly, he said that the first impact of the ECI’s directives was seen on Telangana where the Assembly was dissolved before maturity last year in view of its Chief Minister recommending early polls in the State.
“How and why is this order being brazenly violated in the state of J&K? How did some of the officers particularly of District Udhampur allow Ex-MLAs to use CDF through their weird order? How the new projects/schemes were being announced on day to day basis with a particular political party taking credit for the same? He questioned.
Advocating for early Assembly polls in the State, Mr Singh said that in Friday’s meeting convened by the CEO J&K had also referred only to General Elections 2019 conveying thereby that Parliamentary Elections alone were round the corner.
“No mention was made about tentative schedule of Assembly Elections in the state with rumours agog that the said elections were likely to be postponed by the Centre for political reasons,” he said adding that even the Supreme Court had ruled that elections to Legislative Assemblies in states, where Assemblies are prematurely dissolved, should be held within a period of six months.