Chief Electoral Officer Nagaland, V Shashank Shekhar has asked all political parties, candidates or any other person connected with election including ministers, MLAs, personnel secretary, personnel assistant to ministers, advisors and MLAs to not misuse official vehicles for campaign, electioneering or election related purposes, as per instructions/guidelines of the Election Commission of India.
CEO said that official vehicles include all vehicles belonging to Central and State government, PSUs, joint sector undertakings, local bodies, Municipal corporations, municipalities, marketing boards (by whatever name known), cooperative societies, Autonomous DCs, or any other body in which public funds, however small a portion of the total, are invested and also vehicles belonging to defence ministry and central police organizations under MHA and state governments.
EC guidelines states that there shall be a total and absolute ban on use of official vehicles except officials performing election related duty.
In this regard, CEO directed to all DEOs to take necessary action for compliance of ECI instructions within 24 hours of the announcement of the elections.
CEO also stated that ministers are entitled to use their official vehicles only for commuting from their official residence for official works provided that such commuting is not combined with any electioneering or any political activities.
As per the ECI Consolidated Instructions 2014 standing order, the commission further directs that cars/vehicles shall, under no circumstances, be allowed to move in convoys of more than ten vehicles, excluding the security vehicles.
CEO has therefore directed all district administration to keep a close watch and find out if any official vehicle specified were being used for electioneering purposes and if so, the district magistrate shall immediately requisition such vehicles, after following due procedure, for election work, under Section 160 of the Representative of the People Act,1951 and the requisitioned vehicles shall not be released until after the completion of the process of elections.
Meanwhile, CEO has directed all deputy commissioners, additional deputy commissioners and district election officers, and all Heads of department to strictly adhere the Election code of conduct for free and fair election during the 14 General Election to Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) 2023.
No official vehicles to be misused: CEO Nagaland
