Courts cannot decide how money is raised and spent on poll promises: Tamil Nadu FM

The Election Commission's (ECs) proposal to mandate more disclosures from political parties to explain possible ways of financing poll promises has sparked a debate - several opposition parties have slammed the move as an overreach.

The letter on poll promises comes just months after the EC told the Supreme Court that it would not want to regulate policy decisions by political parties.

Palanivel Thiagarajan, Finance Minister of Tamil Nadu said courts are there to adjudicate the law and not to say what is or what is not acceptable in the way the administration works.

“In a democracy it is very hard that you have a neutral arbiter that says which policy is populist and which is welfare. So I am shocked that such an issue is in the court because the courts are there to adjudicate the law and not to preempt the law. Courts cannot say what is or what is not acceptable in the way the administration works,” Thiagarajan said.

TS Krishnamurthy, Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) believes there is no conflict in the action taken by EC. He said any amendment to the model code of conduct can be done in consultation with all the political parties.

“Model code of conduct is always drawn in consultation with all the political parties. Any amendment to the model code of conduct can also be done in consultation with all the political parties,” he stated.

“So I am surprised that people are taking a stance that it reflects on the independence of the election commission. The EC is always entitled to consult the political parties in drawing or amending the model code of conduct. So I see no conflict in the action taken by EC,” Krishnamurthy added.