Oct 27,2020: In a relief to candidates contesting bypolls in Gwalior-Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh, the Supreme Court on Monday stayed an order of the Gwalior bench of MP High Court restraining physical campaigning in nine districts under its jurisdiction.
A three-member bench of the SC, headed by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, however took a strict view of the role of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the political parties, while listing the matter after six weeks. The other judges on the bench were justices Dinesh Maheshwari and Sanjeev Khanna.
The SC said that the ECI should have intervened at the appropriate level and asked the government to take steps. The poll panel should have ensured that SOPs (standard operating procedures) were followed at public meetings and candidates who were found to violate norms should have been issued notice, the apex court said, adding that if the parties maintained protocol, this situation would not have arisen.
The court directed the ECI to take cognisance of issues raised in the petition before the MP High Court. “All contentions are left open. It will be open to parties to invite attention of the ECI in respect of issues arising,” the bench said in its order.
