Crack the whip

The Election Commission should punish the candidates or parties that flout the code.

Free and fair elections form the backbone of democracy. However, as local elections come near, local units across various parts of the country are reported to have distributed funds to organisations and groups for programmes ranging from picnics to educational tours. If not hard cash, some local units are distributing gifts, a case in point being Chandragiri Municipality’s Ward 8, which bought 700 saris for women affiliated to 28 groups within the ward (but fell short of distributing them after intervention from the Election Commission). As much as it sounds silly for a local level government to distribute saris rather than work for the people, the decision to distribute such gifts reflects the desperation of the reigning local representatives to spread their influence among the people by misusing government resources and influencing the electoral process itself. That should stop right away.