The Election Commission has recently addressed a serious breach of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by the Government of Karnataka through the publication of advertisements in the Hyderabad edition of various newspapers in Telangana between November 24th and 27th, 2023. This action, flagged by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi in their representations to the Commission, has been deemed a clear violation of established directives.
In response to this violation, the Election Commission has referenced its previous instructions issued on October 9, 2013, emphasizing that advertisements promoting welfare schemes and governmental achievements from non-election states in newspapers circulated in poll-bound states are considered contrary to the spirit of the MCC. As per these directives, such advertisements require prior clearance from the Commission before publication.
Upon investigation, the Commission confirmed that neither prior approval for such advertisements nor any pending application seeking permission from the State of Karnataka was found in its records. Consequently, the Commission views this act by the Government of Karnataka as a serious breach of its directives.
In light of these findings, the Election Commission has issued specific directives to the Government of Karnataka:
- The Government of Karnataka is required to provide an explanation regarding the circumstances leading to the violation of the Commission’s MCC instructions. The explanation needs to reach the Commission by 5:00 pm on November 28, 2023.
- Immediate cessation of any further publication of such advertisements by the Government of Karnataka in Telangana until necessary approvals are obtained from the Commission as mandated by the MCC directives.
- Justification for not initiating disciplinary action against the Secretary-in-charge of the Department of Information and Public Relations for the aforementioned violations of procedure outlined in the MCC instructions.
The Election Commission’s stringent directives underscore its commitment to upholding the sanctity of the electoral process and ensuring strict adherence to the Model Code of Conduct. The response from the Government of Karnataka in compliance with these directives is awaited by the Commission by the stipulated deadline.