First post-Seshan poll campaign flouts all rules

In the first poll campaign after former chief election commissioner T N Seshan's retirement, major political parties in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, pulled out all stops in a return to the era of extravagance to woo the voters.

Nearly 1,000 campaign vehicles have jammed the streets of the small town in the past few days making it difficult for even pedestrians to move about.

Campaigning for the byelection to the Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency in which former federal minister Kamal Nath of the Congress is pitted against former chief minister Sundarlal Patwa of the Bharatiya Janata Party among others.

Other election material like posters, buntings, cutouts, flags, banners and all varieties of raths (chariots) were much in evidence.

Open trading of charges by rival candidates, often descending to the level of personal attacks and abusive language marked the campaigning. Deputy election commissioner S Chatterjee said such attacks came under the purview of model code of conduct for election and action would be taken against violators.

About the influx of campaign vehicles, he said the returning officer has directed that all the vehicles used in campaigning must be registered with the district election office.

The administration has confiscated some vehicles for not following the norms, he added.

UNI