Thaindian News

Lucknow, Dec 28 (IANS) The Election Commission has decided to maintain a strict vigil on ‘paid news’ by deploying special surveillance teams ahead of the seven-phased Uttar Pradesh assembly elections Feb 4-28, 2012, an official said Wenesday.

“While district level teams will be constituted to keep track of any type of ‘paid news’, the election commission will also monitor ever single expenditure main by political parties and their nominees towards publicity,” state chief electoral officer Umesh Sinha told mediapersons here Wednesday.

While prescribing an upper limit of 40 star campaigners, he said: “Every political party will be required to disclose the names of their respective star campaigners within seven days of the official notification for poll during the specified phase. More importantly, the parties will be required to furnish details of the expenditure incurred on transport and travel of each of the campaigners.”

According to him, “payments made to aviation companies from whom aircraft and helicopters are hired would also be subject to scrutiny of the Election Commission. Besides, other minute travel details of the star campaigners would also have to be submitted to the Election Commission within three days of the completion of such travel”.

“Individual candidates and the star campaigners will have to furnish these details within three days, but political parties will also have to give a detailed account of the overall expenditure by them under various heads within 75 days of the conclusion of the poll.

“This will include money spent not only on banners, posters, cut-outs, hoardings and advertisements on both print as well as electronic media but also on election rallies, including erection of daises etc,” Sinha added.

He also pointed out that “every candidate will also be required to open a new bank account, at least a day before filing his nomination and every transaction of more than Rs. 20,000 will have to be necessarily carried out through crossed cheques”.

Candidates would also be free to open such an account jointly with their election agent.

While emphasizing that the idea behind the new regulations was to ensure a “level playing field” for all parties and candidates, the chief electoral officer said: “A few changes have also been made in the format of the affidavit that is to be submitted together with the nomination papers.”

“The PAN numbers of not just the candidates, but also of their spouses, children and other dependents, together with every detail of their immoveable or moveable property, bank accounts, jewellery, vehicles, bonds and insurance policies, among others, would have to be furnished,” Sinha added.

“These decisions were formally communicated to representatives of all major political parties who were invited to a meeting today.”