Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has violated the Model Code of Conduct in place for the Delhi Assembly election by promising to construct mohalla clinics in court complexes, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said in a notice to the Aam Aadmi Party leader on Thursday.
In the notice, the ECI said it had received a complaint on January 14 from “Neeraj, Bharatiya Janata Party, Delhi Pradesh” about Mr. Kejriwal making an announcement at a gathering of advocates organised at the Tis Hazari Courts by the Delhi Bar Association a day earlier. Mr. Kejriwal said “if land could be provided on the premises [of the court complex], mohalla clinic would be established”, the notice said, adding that a report by the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi confirmed that the Chief Minister had made the promise.
As per the Model Code of Conduct, the party in power “shall ensure that no cause is given for any complaint that it has used its official position for the purposes of its election campaign” and that “from the time elections are announced by the Commission, Ministers and other authorities shall not make any promise of construction of roads, provision of drinking water facilities etc.”
The ECI added that “the commission is of the opinion that by making the said promise you have violated the said provision of Model Code of Conduct”. Mr. Kejriwal was asked to submit his explanation by 5 p.m. on Friday, after which the ECI would take a decision in the matter.
The election to the 70-member Delhi Assembly was announced on January 6, leading to the imposition of the model code. Polling is scheduled to take place on February 8 and results will be out on February 11.
