Gurugram admin issues notices to nominees for poll code violations

Gurugram: The district administration has issued notices to 18 candidates in all four constituencies for violating the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. The violations that attracted notices, include conducting campaigns without prior approval from the Returning Officer (RO), placing illegal hoardings and banners and organising events at non-approved locations, officials said.

A total of 18 notices have been issued to candidates for violating the Model Code of Conduct across three constituencies in Gurugram. Sohna saw the highest number of violations with 8 notices, followed by Badshahpur with 6 notices, and Gurgaon with 4 notices. The district administration has emphasised the importance of adhering to the election guidelines to ensure a fair electoral process.

Gurugram deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said that one of the most common violations was campaigning without the necessary permission from the RO. “Candidates are required to obtain approval before conducting public events, but they were found hosting rallies and meetings without clearance,” he said.

Another significant violation involved the placement of hoardings and banners in public spaces without proper authorisation. “This breaches both the Model Code of Conduct and local laws. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty,” the official added.

Additionally, some candidates were found organising events at non-approved community centers and other venues without seeking prior permission. “Using public spaces for campaign events without prior approval is a serious violation. We urge all candidates to adhere to the Election Commission’s guidelines,” said Yadav.

He warned that such violations would be added to the candidates’ election expenditure accounts. “Frequent violations may result in action by the Election Commission of India (ECI),” he added.

Expenditure observer Shravan Kumar Bansal also directed all candidates in the 75-Pataudi (SC) and 76-Badshahpur constituencies to maintain accurate records of campaign expenditure and ensure they stay within the ₹40 lakh spending limit set by the ECI.

Candidates have been instructed to keep poll expenditure registers up to date. The ECI mandates that all campaign expenses, from the day of nomination until the declaration of results, must be accounted for. Further, advertisements must be pre-approved by the district administration and candidates must disclose the cost to the concerned Returning Officer. District administration officials also pointed out that some recent advertisements had failed to comply with the guidelines, lacking proper disclosure, printing details and information on the number of printed copies.

The district administration has warned that violations of the election code will not be tolerated and could also lead to legal consequences, including fines.