With the Election Commission bringing social media on a par with regular media and setting up mechanism to monitor it, campaigning on social media for the ensuing 17th Lok Sabha election should adhere to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), said District Election Officer and Deputy Commissioner S. Sasikanth Senthil here on Monday.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Senthil said that candidates should be careful as expenditure on social media platforms, including FaceBook and Twitter, would be added to the account of the respective candidates. If they disown such campaign as not having been authorised by them, the person indulging in such campaign would be booked under the Representation of People’s Act. Internet charges and cost of preparing the campaign material would constitute the expenditure.
Since the code of condcut has already come into effect, the Deputy Commissioner urged people to remove all political publicity material within 24 hours. If publicity material are on private property with authorisation from the local body concerned, the Election Commission would consider it to be included under the candidate’s expenditure, Mr. Senthil said.
The administration is all set to conduct free and fair polls with the first level of checking of electronic voting machines being done in the presence of representatives of political parties. While VVPATs would be deployed in all polling booths, slips, one each VVPAT at every Assembly constituency, would randomly be tallied with votes polled in the respective EVMs. The results would be declared only if both match, Mr. Senthil said.
As many as 73 flying squads, working in three shifts with at least three functional at any time in an Assembly constituency, are being deployed along with 23 video surveillance teams. Adequate number of check-posts are being set up on the borders to monitor transportation of cash and other valuables. If the seized cash was not meant for election purpose, its owner can present the case before a committee and get it released within 24 hours.
Mr. Senthil said that with electorate data coming under a single platform, ERONET, the commission has launched Voter Helpline App on Google PlayStore where one can verify names, submit application for enrolment and many more. New voter registration could be made till seven days before the last date to file nomination papers.