Shivraj's poll address: EC asks official to ensure no campaigning when silence period kicks in

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission, acting on a Congress complaint against a newspaper advertisement declaring that Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan shall hold an interaction with people of the state at 5.30 pm, has asked the state chief electoral officer not to allow publicising of the said speech, for which no time limit is indicated, in the poll-going constituencies where the ‘silence period’ will kick in at 6 pm.

A representation was received in the Commission from Indian National Congress (INC) earlier on Wednesday drawing the poll panel’s attention to an election advertisement published by the BJP in newspapers across Madhya Pradesh. The advertisement -- which puts out a letter from Chouhan detailing the various initiatives and welfare schemes like 'Laadli Behna' taken by his government and seeks a fresh mandate for the BJP -- publicises that Chouhan, also a BJP candidate in the current polls, will be speaking to “the brothers and sisters of Madhya Pradesh at 5.30 pm” on Wednesday, which is barely 30 minutes before the 48-hour ban on campaigning stipulated by Section 126(1)(b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, takes effect. The advertisement asked the people to tune in to news channels and various social media platforms for the interaction.

The INC had sought restraining of the public speech saying that no time limit is provided to the speech and that it cannot be allowed to be publicised in the constituencies where the silence period shall be in effect from 6 pm.

Polling across all constituencies of Madhya Pradesh and 70 constituencies in Chhattisgarh is scheduled for November 17.

Sources said the Commission, acknowledging the urgency of the matter, has immediately issued directions to the chief electoral officer of Madhya Pradesh to take necessary steps to ensure that no campaigning takes place in the polling area after the commencement of scheduled silence period, i.e. 6 pm onwards, on Wednesday, as per the provisions of Section 126(1)(b) of the RP Act 1951.

Section 126(1)(b) states that no person shall display to the public any election matter by means of cinematograph, television or other similar apparatus in any polling area during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for conclusion of poll for any election in that polling area.