PM, CMs, Ministers should be barred from campaigning: Biswajit Daimary

Guwahati (Assam), August 28, 2018:

Rajya Sabha member Biswajit Daimary of Bodoland People’s Front has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to bar the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers and Ministers from hitting campaign trail during any election in order to protect the interests of smaller political parties and independent candidates.

At an all-party meeting with the ECI on electoral reforms on Monday, he said the PM, CMs and Ministers should be viewed like government employees who cannot work for any political parties.

“I told the Election Commission to view the PM, CMs and Ministers on a par with government employees. I said as government employees cannot campaign for any political party in any election, the PM, CMs and Ministers should also be barred from campaigning since they are also giving their services like government servants and can easily influence voters with promises. If the PM, CMs and Ministers take part in campaigning, how will the smaller political parties compete with bigger political parties? I raised the issue to protect the democratic system and the interests of smaller political parties,” Daimary told InsideNE.

He also underscored the issue of hefty spending by the bigger political parties saying it was affecting the smaller political parties.

“The bigger political parties spend heavily during elections. This adversely affects the smaller political parties and people who contest as independent candidates. So, I said the expenses should be limited. The bigger political parties can spend lavishly during elections. In such a scenario, what will the regional parties do?” he asked.

Daimary, however, had no issues with the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in elections. He said manipulation could take place also in ballot papers.