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EC calls all party meet on ‘freebies’

New Delhi, 1 August: The Election Commission will hold a meeting of various political parties on 12 August for framing…

New Delhi, 1 August: The Election Commission will hold a meeting of various political parties on 12 August for framing guidelines on ‘freebies’ in election manifestos following directions of the Supreme Court.
The guidelines are being framed in view of the recent apex court order which said there is no enactment that directly governs the contents of the election manifesto. The EC has sought the opinion of various political parties on the matter before making rules on allurements in election manifestos. Representatives of political parties have also been invited to give their views on the contentious issue of defining ‘freebies’ during the meeting.
The court has said, “Although, the law is obvious that the promises in the election manifesto cannot be construed as ‘corrupt practice’ under Section 123 of the Representation of People Act, the reality cannot be ruled out that distribution of freebies of any kind influences the root of free and fair elections to a large degree.”     pti

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