(Source: File)THE Law Ministry has shot down the Election Commission’s proposal seeking permanent legal powers to cancel elections in case there is credible evidence of voters being bribed. As reported by The Indian Express on June 6, the Commission had sent a proposal seeking an amendment to Section 58A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which empowers the election watchdog to adjourn or cancel elections in case of booth-capturing. “It may not be advisable to compare booth capturing with allegations of bribery of voters since the circumstances are incomparable. Besides, the Commission has been dealing with such situations in the past under powers vested in the Article 324 of the Constitution. Overall, in Tamil Nadu over Rs 200 crore was seized by the poll panel at various places making it the largest haul of election money in an Assembly poll.

Source: Indian Express November 20, 2016 21:46 UTC