HC directive to EC on use of goods vehicles by parties

The Madras High Court today directed the Election Commission to take a decision within five days on a plea seeking to curtail alleged use of goods vehicles for transporting people for election meetings by political parties in Tamil Nadu where polling in assembly elections are to be held on May 16.
A bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M M Sundresh, passed the order on a PIL by one M R K Siva who submitted that political parties, while campaigning for the elections, were transporting people in goods vehicles throughout the state.
"The act is done without obtaining proper permission from the Election Commission and the authorities concerned... Is unsafe for the people who are travelling in such vehicles," he said.

The petitioner further stated that if any untoward incident occurred, these 'innocent' people would not be eligible to get compensation in view of violation of condition prescribed in the insurance policy (against use of goods vehicles for moving people around).
A detailed representation made to the authorities concerned on April 18 had not yielded any action, he said and prayed to the court to direct the authorities to take appropriate and necessary steps to curtail the use of goods vehicle for transporting people.
The court ordered the EC to take a decision within a maximum period of five days from today on the representation.