Poll panel bats for disqualification

The Election Commission (EC) will urge the government to amend the laws to disqualify candidates named in chargesheets for bribing voters — a move which comes days after it cancelled a Tamil Nadu Assembly bypoll following allegations of use of money to influence people.

The poll watchdog has decided to write to the law ministry seeking changes in the Representation of the People Act to ensure candidates contesting the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls are disqualified for up to five years once chargesheeted by a court, sources in the EC said.

Earlier this month, the commission had indefinitely put off the R K Nagar Assembly bypoll in Tamil Nadu after it found that money power was used to influence voters. The bypoll was to be held on April 12. It was necessitated following the demise of J Jayalalithaa.

The EC received many complaints on inducement given to voters by distributing money and gifts in innovative forms such as tokens, including for milk, prepaid phone recharge coupons, newspaper subscription, money transfer in no-frill accounts in banks and even mobile wallets.

Earlier, the poll panel had asked the government to give it power under the Election Law to countermand an election where money power was used. The EC can countermand an election following use of muscle power. It can use its constitutional powers under Article 324 to countermand a poll over use of money power. The commission wants the power to be vested to it under the law, as it does not want to use constitutional powers too frequently.