The Hindu : EC disapproves of Jayalalithaa's poll promise

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 26, 2003

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EC disapproves of Jayalalithaa's poll promise

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI Feb. 25. The Election Commission has expressed its strong disapproval of the actions taken by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, in offering projects to the electorate of Sattankulam (which goes to polls tomorrow) when the Model Code of Conduct is in force.

The Full Commission, comprising the Chief Election Commissioner, J.M. Lyngdoh, and two Commissioners, T.S. Krishnamurthy and B.B. Tandon, at its meeting today "rejected the explanation offered by the Chief Secretary" of the State that "no specific promises were made by Ms. Jayalalithaa during her election campaign" regarding the setting up of women's college, a polytechnic, a sports complex and a cement factory in Sattankulam.

In a communication sent to the Chief Secretary, the Commission said that it was constrained to observe that the "promises" could only have been made to obtain electoral gains.

It said the explanation offered "has not been found satisfactory by the full Commission. Using technical loopholes, indulging in semantics and quibbling between `promise' and `promise to consider' are not the defence that the Commission expects a person holding a high political office to take shelter under.''

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