EC clean chit to PM Modi in two more cases: Sources
New Delhi, May 6: The Election Commission has given clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in two more cases, sources aware of the development said Monday.
The Congress had alleged that he held a "roadshow" in Ahmedabad on April 23 and the sources said the commission has concluded that Modi did not violate the model code and the election law.
They said that the commission has also cleared Modi for his April 9 speech at Chitradurga in Karnataka where he had reportedly asked new voters to dedicate their vote for the heroes of the Balakot air strike.
On the same day, he had made a similar appeal in Ausa in Latur district of Maharashtra. The EC had given a clean chit to him in that case as well, but one of the election commissioners had given a dissenting view in the matter.
Though the commission has so far not made the two decisions public, with these decisions, Modi has been given a clean chit in eight matters.
The poll authorities in Gujarat are learnt to have maintained that prima facie no violation was found.
The Congress had moved the EC alleging that Modi took out a "roadshow" after casting his vote and made political remarks in violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
After casting his vote in Ahmedabad, Modi walked some distance from the polling booth and interacted briefly with media persons.
Earlier, the EC had cleared six speeches of Modi, two of Shah and one of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.
Gandhi had been issued a show cause notice for his Madhya Pradesh speech in which he had reportedly said that the government has enacted a new law which allows tribals to be shot.
On March 19, the EC had issued an advisory asking parties not to invoke armed forces in their political campaign.
The commission has now submitted a report to the Supreme Court of the cases related to Modi and Shah that it has disposed. Alleging delay on EC's part, the Congress had moved the top court for a remedy.
The matter would come up for hearing on Wednesday.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
