Election Commission (EC) has served show cause notices to a number of contesting candidates in Arunachal Pradesh – including sitting MP and BJP nominee from Arunachal East Parliamentary Constituency, Tapir Gao, for alleged violations of election Model Code of Conduct (MCC), an official at the office of chief electoral officer (CEO) said on April 15.
“The reply has also come (from the MP candidate), and the reply of that show cause notice is being examined,” the officer on special duty (OSD) to the CEO, Toko Babu, informed while talking to media persons at Nirvachan Bhawan in Itanagar.
Besides that, some contesting MLA candidates were also served show cause notices by the respective district election officers (DEOs) of the districts for the violation of MCC. The commission, under the provisions of the CCS Conduct Rules, has also served show cause notices to several senior government officers for their reported involvement in electioneering and various political party activities.
The replies have also come and are being examined at the chief electoral officer’s office, Babu said.
He further divulged that to date, 33 cases of poll-related violence, including the one at Tenga under Thrizino-Buragaon assembly constituency in West Kameng, wherein one person lost his life on April 13, have been registered in different police stations across the state.
Moreover, as per the action taken report received from DEO Namsai, he said an FIR has been registered after the recent violence in Namsai constituency, and the investigation is on.
“In the meantime, police have bound down some habitual offenders under Sections 107 and 108 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). Further, the DEO has conducted a consultative meeting involving all the contesting candidates and their representatives with the senior citizens of the area, wherein they have resolved to maintain peace and tranquillity in the area and assured to abide by the guidelines of the ECI.”
Moreover, a prohibitory order under Section 144 CrPC effective within the jurisdiction of Namsai district, especially the Namsai constituency, has been issued by the district magistrate/DEO, the OSD informed.
All sector officers, SSTs, and FSTs have also been asked to mobilise and monitor the law and order situation in addition to the enforcement of MCC by the district and police administration in Namsai to ensure the free and fair conduct of the elections.
Meanwhile, the total monetary value of cash and other items, including liquor, drugs, and freebies, seized till date by the flying squads, static surveillance teams, and police at various naka points has risen to Rs 16.19 crore, Babu said.
