The presence of the posters was reported during routine checks by polling officials and observers
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – Posters promoting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were discovered inside Polling Booth No. 396 in the Kanke town of Jharkhand’s Ranchi District on Wednesday.
Kanke is among the 43 state constituencies where polling got underway on Wednesday in the first phase of the assembly elections. The discovery of the posters has raised concerns regarding compliance with the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), which mandates that polling stations remain neutral zones and free from any campaign material that might influence voters.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) enforces the Model Code of Conduct to ensure fair and impartial elections. Under the MCC, any form of campaign material, including posters, pamphlets, or other visual propaganda, is strictly prohibited inside polling stations. This regulation is designed to prevent undue influence on voters within the premises of polling locations.
Polling officers are responsible for maintaining neutrality, and if such incidents do take place, they ought to be investigated fairly, with consequences for the officials involved and possibly for the party if there’s proof of deliberate action.
The presence of the posters was reported during routine checks by polling officials and observers.
The presence of BJP posters in the polling booth could be perceived as an attempt to sway voter decisions, compromising the impartiality of the electoral process. Such an incident risks undermining public confidence in the election’s fairness and could invite allegations of misconduct against both polling officials and the involved political party.
Polling officials on duty reportedly removed the posters immediately upon discovery to restore the neutrality of the voting environment.
The incident was reported to the district election officer and the Election Commission of Jharkhand for further review and investigation.
The incident underscores the need for vigilant enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct to maintain the integrity of the electoral process.
