Election Commission asks parties not to vitiate purity of poll process

NEW DELHI: Political parties are free to make promises in their manifestos as long as they can spell out the rationale behind such assurances and how they plan to fund it, the Election Commission has said in its latest and far-reaching guidelines just ahead of the central elections.

The draft guidelines on poll manifestos have come in wake of political parties trying to out do each other with populist sops such as free laptops and television sets. The Samajwadi Party rode to power in Uttar Pradesh on the back of its promise to give free laptops to all students.

But now, as per the draft guidelines issued by the election commission on late Friday evening in the wake of Supreme Court directions to it, the parties and contesting candidates will be allowed to make only such welfare promises that are enshrined in the Directive Principles of State Policy of the Constitution. The EC also urged parties to justify how they plan to fund their promises. “Trust of voters should be sought only on those promises which are possible to be fulfilled,” the EC order said.

These guidelines, however, are not cast in stone and will be finalised only after seeking feedback from all political parties. The EC has given time till February 7 to receive comments and reactions.