Poll spending: HC asks ECI for regulation on it

The Delhi High Court today asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to place before it the regulation for bringing transparency regarding expenditure of political parties and funds received by them.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Anu Malhotra directed the counsel for the poll panel to inform whether the parties were abiding by the guidelines on Transparency and Accountability in Party Funds and Election Expenditure.
"Place the status report with regard to the concern raised by the petitioner, before the next date of hearing, October 12," it said.
The court was hearing an NGO's plea for implementation of the Law Commission's recommendation that a provision be enacted to monitor and regulate the expenditure by political parties during elections.

Senior advocate Arvind Nigam, appearing for petitioner Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), submitted that despite there being guidelines in place, the political parties were not abiding by them.
The petition has said that despite the Law Commission's recommendations, there is no provision yet in the Representation of the People Act and the Election Rules to monitor poll expenses of political parties.

It has alleged that such a provision has "deliberately" not been enacted despite the Supreme Court having held that the EC has the power to give effect to the LC's recommendation.
ADR has claimed that the existing law "does not measure up to the existing realities".

It has alleged that since the present political system is being "funded through various illegal means and also by the people and corporate agencies with vested interests, it (political system) does not seem to be inclined to give effect to the recommendations of the LC".