VISITS OF MINISTERS AND MISUSE OF OFFICIAL VEHICLES/MACHINERY

General Elections/Bye-elections _ Prevention of misuse of official vehicles during elections.

7 (a) The Commission would like to make it clear that if it has any material to doubt that the assessment of security requirements made by the authorities under Special Protection Group Act, 1988 or any other special enactment/instruction of the Government have been manifestly or unduly excessive with the intention of promoting indirectly the electoral interests of a particular party or candidate, the Commission will bring the matter to the notice of the concerned Government for immediate and appropriate corrective steps.

7.(b) For this purpose, the Commission may call for any information from the Central Government or the State Government concerned with regard to the assessment of the security requirements made in respect of any such personality. Such information shall be furnished to the Commission by the concerned government forthwith.

8. The Commission further directs that cars/vehicles shall, under no circumstances, be allowed to move in convoys of more than three vehicles. All bigger convoys shall be broken up, even if they are carrying any Minister of Central or State Government or any other person. This shall, however, be subject to any security instructions issued in respect of any such individual.

9. The Commission further directs that from the date of announcement of elections till the completion of elections, the District Administration shall keep a close watch on the use of all the abovementioned vehicles to see whether any such vehicles is being misused for electioneering for, or by, any candidate. If it is found that any of the abovementioned vehicles of Central Government or State Government, including those of public sector undertakings or local bodies is being used for electioneering purposes, the District Magistrate shall, forthwith, requisition or cause to be requisitioned such vehicles, after following due procedure, for election work, to be used by officers performing election related duties under Section 160 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The vehicles so requisitioned shall not be released until after the completion of the process of elections.

10. The above directions of the Commission are issued under the powers conferred on it by Article 324 of the Constitution and all other powers enabling it in that behalf.

11. This should be brought to the notice of all concerned. A copy of this order in English/Hindi and any local official language(s) shall be made available to the units of all recognised National and State political parties and to each candidate or the agent authorised by him, at the time of his nomination(s) (repeat nomination and not scrutiny of nomination) under acknowledgement.



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