Poll Promises Empty If Voters Can't Assess Their Financial Viability: EC To Parties

Election Commission feels "empty" poll promises made to the public have far-reaching ramifications.

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Election Commission (EC) in a letter to political parties asked them to provide authentic information to voters to assess the financial viability of their election promises, PTI reported on Tuesday. Along the lines of curtailing freebies announced by political parties ahead of polls, EC in its letter said that "inadequate disclosures on poll promises and consequential undesirable impact on financial sustainability" cannot be overlooked. 

Election Commission in its letter as sought political parties' views on the issue. It said "empty" poll promises made to the public have far-reaching ramifications.

The poll panel has also proposed to amend the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) to add a proforma to Part VIII (Guidelines on election manifesto) of the MCC.

It will require political parties to inform voters about the financial feasibility of promises made in their manifestos and also whether they are sustainable within the financial space of the state or the Union government.

The proposed proforma seeks details of revenue generation ways (through additional tax, if any), rationalising expenditure (cutting some schemes, if so required), impact on committed liabilities and/or raising of further debt and its impact on Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM) limits.

"The Commission notes that the consequences of inadequate disclosures by political parties get attenuated by the fact that elections are held frequently, providing opportunities for political parties to indulge in competitive electoral promises, particularly in multi-phase elections, without having to spell out their financial implications more particularly on committed expenditure," the letter said, reported PTI.

The EC letter comes weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi denigrated the "revdi" culture, a reference to freebies offered by political parties, triggering a war of words between the BJP and opposition parties.

The issue of freebies is now being debated in the Supreme Court.

(With PTI inputs)