Ensure fair elections, SEC tells officers in fresh guidelines

After being pulled up by the High Court over the alleged breakdown of democratic norms in the run-up to the rural bodies’ elections, the State Election Commission (SEC) issued a set of guidelines to the civil and police administration to ensure a free and fair contest.

The poll panel issued the directions to SSPs and DCs of all districts.

State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhari noted,“…the recent events, where an audio recording of a senior police official in Patiala district went viral, have caused a considerable erosion in the perception of the police fairness and neutrality in the election process.”

“Although the matter is now under investigation, such activities give occasion to the general public to distrust the neutrality… of the official machinery,” he added.

Asking officers to abstain from having misguided loyalties, the commissioner asked the SSPs to ensure that no police official had “misguided loyalties and exercise unfair influence to further the interest of any political party during elections.”

He said they were expected to be completely neutral, unbiased and non-partisan.

Ban on liquor sale

Excise Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal on Thursday prohibited the sale of liquor on December 14, the polling day. The instructions will have to be followed from December 13 midnight to 10 am on December 15.