The Hindu : BJP for poll code being made law

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 29, 2002

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BJP for poll code being made law

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JUNE 28. The Bharatiya Janata Party is confident that there would be a broad unanimity of views among political parties at the July 8 all-party meeting called to consider the latest directive by the Election Commission (after the Court verdict on the issue) making it compulsory for all candidates to file complete information about involvement in any criminal cases.

The spokesperson and chief whip of the party, V.K. Malhotra, said that perhaps the model code of conduct needed to be given more teeth by making it a law. State funding of elections, declaration of assets of candidates, information on involvement in criminal cases and other relevant data could be part of such a law.

However, he cautioned that many politicians in parties across the political spectrum are often involved in cases relating to violation of Section 144 (prohibiting assembly of a large number of persons) and similar cases which technically are "criminal'' in nature. These have to be differentiated from involvement in murder, rape or dacoity, he said.

The main aim of the parties should be to ensure firm legislative steps to prevent criminalisation of politics and freeing it from money and muscle power.

For this the question of State funding of elections should also be addressed.

He hoped that parties would arrive at a consensus and a law could then be drafted and passed in the monsoon session of Parliament beginning mid-July.

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