Law minister Kiren Rijiju said that the government is in talks with the election watchdog and contemplating supporting "major electoral reforms" through changes to the Representation of the People Act, a day after the Election Commission released the proposed proforma for political parties to detail their electoral promises and disclose how they plan to fund them.
Rijiju added, “I am already having elaborate discussions with the EC to study major changes in the RP Act and other election rules. The Centre will take steps after due consultation for major electoral reforms which are required as per the new changing time and situation,” Rijiju said when questioned about whether the election watchdog communicated with the government before putting out recent proposals.
Opposition parties have criticised the EC's demand that parties explain how they intend to pay for their election promises, arguing that this is outside the purview of the poll panel. Congress referred to it as "yet another nail in the coffin of democracy" and claimed that without such a bureaucratic approach, "none of the social development projects would have ever been a reality."
Kapil Sibal, a Rajya Sabha member, took a dig on Election Commission for suggesting a change to the model code that would require political parties to inform voters honestly about the financial viability of their election promises. Sibal suggested that perhaps the poll watchdog itself needs a model code of conduct. Earlier, the EC had issued a letter addressed to presidents/ chairpersons of all political parties with a two-page proforma on strengthening the model code of conduct on promises made in election manifestos.
