With the Election Commission of India announcing elections to Tamilnadu and Puducherry on 6 April, model code of conduct has come into immediate effect.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora said advance teams of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) had been sent to all the poll-bound States and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
In addition,the ECI had issued a circular on 8 Februaryfor the formation of committees comprising the Statesā chief electoral officers, State police nodal officers and State CAPF coordinators for coming up with security plans and monitoring the deployment of forces.
Terming Tamilnadu an ‘expenditure-sensitive State’, Arora stated that it was the State where two elections had to be rescinded in the recent past, referring to the Vellore and R K Nagar elections.
The stakes are much higher for both the major parties this timeāthe DMK has been out of power for 10 years and the AIADMK faces multiple existential threats within and outside the party. Hence, there would be a high voltage campaign to ‘woo’ voters.
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and DMK president M K Stalin have been making a series of announcements of loan waivers, financial help and addressing grievances in their outreach to various sections including farmers. It is the responsibility of the Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections.