Election Commission issues advisory for Huzurabad bypoll

The Election Commission of India appears to have waded into troubled waters with another order that prohibits any political activity directly related to the by-election even in areas adjoining the district/constituency where the by-election is being held.

In an advisory to political parties on Thursday, the EC said it was brought to its notice that certain political parties/candidates are organising electioneering activities in areas adjoining the district/constituency where the by-election is being conducted. In this regard all political parties/candidates are advised not to organise such meetings, the advisory said. 

The Commission’s existing



instructions regarding enforcement of Model Code of Conduct during by-elections to Parliamentary/Assembly Constituency provides that the applicability of MCC would be to the concerned district(s) comprising the Assembly or Parliament constituency going to by-election. The only relaxation in these instructions is in case the constituency comprises State capital/metropolitan cities/municipal corporations. 

In such cases, MCC instructions would be applicable in the area of concerned constituency only, it said. In all other cases, the instructions would be enforced in the entire district covering the constituency going for by-election, it said.