PIL in BHC for disclosure of information regarding status of promises made in the election manifesto by ruling parties and candidates.

The petitioner Akshay Bajad, who is a researcher and social activist, in the PIL filed through Talekar and Associates says election manifestos have become guides for voters to know the political party and the policies they seek to implement when elected. There is no law governing such election manifestos in India other than guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India, says the petition, which counsel S B Talekar had mentioned before a bench of chief justice Naresh Patil and Justice Nitin Jamdar.

The petition states that such disclosure on part of the political parties would not only enable the voters to make a better-informed choice but would also repose confidence in such political parties. Furthermore, such disclosure would also keep a check upon the political parties inasmuch as all such parties/candidates shall publish their manifestos after thorough research thereby restraining them from making false promises with a view to filling their vote banks.

If this Public Interest Litigation (PIL) will be allowed all the persons or the parties which are going to contest in the elections have to disclose of the information regarding the status of the promises made in the election manifesto leading to the enhancement in the transparency as well as accountability. The primary target of the petition is to target the fake promises made by the parties or the candidates to fool people and to take votes using their sentiments or sometimes showing them fake bright dreams. In a nutshell, it can be said that this Public Interest Litigation is interesting moreover appealing in the sense that it will force the political parties to remove such promises which after winning elections got termed as “Jumlas”.

Ramesh Towar

Public Reporter

Mumbai