ECI has no power on electoral promises, Owaisi

Hyderabad: All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen president and MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to withdraw the proforma it circulated to all the political parties seeking their opinion on regulating the electoral promises.

In a letter to the ECI, the Majlis chief took objection to the former identifying social welfare schemes like loan waivers, pension schemes, and free public utilities and asking parties to justify their promises regarding such schemes. “Why didn’t the proforma talk of corporate subsidies, tax exemptions, public procurement tenders, arms and ammunition purchases,” he wondered.

Owaisi also pointed out that the very nature of info sought by the ECI under the heads of quantification, extent and resource raising plan clearly indicated that the agency had been stepping into the domain of policymaking and legislative field which it is no constitutionally competent to do. “It is for the voter to decide on prioritisation of schemes and the party that has the capacity to mobilise funds and spend,” he added.

The Hyderabad MP also asserted that the ECI can exercise its regulatory powers that were granted by Parliament. The absence of legislation on an issue cannot be construed as legislative vaccum and electoral promises should be left to the wisdom of voters, he said.