Election Commissioner submits written response to EC: Sources

Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa is learnt to have submitted his written response to the Election Commission on his stand that dissent and minority views in cases of model code violation should be made part of the order.

Though it was not immediately known what he has written, it is learnt that in Wednesday's 'full commission' meeting, he maintained that since EC orders on model code are issued under Article 324 of the Constitution they are more than administrative decisions, at times involving campaign ban.

Lavasa, sources said, was willing to provide his views again in writing if need arises.

The Election Commission's powers flow from Article 324.

He is learnt to have said that even views of persons are obtained before arriving at decisions and drew home the point that it was, therefore, necessary to have dissent notes as part of the order.

At Wednesday's meeting, convened to discuss the issues flagged by Lavasa, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and fellow commissioner Sushil Chandra had turned down his demand to incorporate minority view in orders relating to model code violations.

Lavasa had also pressed for transparency and a time-bound mechanism to deal with model code violation cases.

It was decided in the meet that the three commissioners will give in writing their views on the issue of dissent and minority views.