The two organisations have alleged rampant violation of the model code of conduct (MCC) in the ongoing campaigning for the Ludhiana West byelection.
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Punjab Election Watch Tuesday submitted a complaint to the Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding removal of the Ludhiana’s district election officer (DEO) “for egregious dereliction of duty,” and called for the strict enforcement of the “Rs 40 lakh expenditure limit” on candidates.
The two organisations have alleged rampant violation of the model code of conduct (MCC) in the ongoing campaigning for the Ludhiana West byelection. The complaint, also addressed to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjab, includes “GPS-tagged, timestamped photographic evidence” of illegal hoardings and campaign materials in violation of ECI guidelines. “These materials are not only unauthorized and environmentally harmful but also likely to push candidate spending well beyond the legal threshold,” the complaint reads.
“The DEO’s failure to act suo motu on visible violations is a betrayal of voter trust and a breach of ECI directives. Repeated inaction grants an unfair advantage to certain candidates and sets a dangerous precedent,” said Jaskirat Singh, trustee, ADR.
“We are witnessing unchecked use of plastic flex boards, misuse of government machinery, and zero transparency in shadow registers. We demand accountability — now, not after the polls,” added Parvinder Singh Kittna, coordinator, Punjab Election Watch.
The complaint states that “proxy campaigners, and lavish advertising efforts are reportedly being overlooked by expenditure observers, in violation of ECI norms and the Representation of the People Act, 1951.”
“Posters and banners that violate Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) approvals have flooded public spaces. Plastic and non-biodegradable campaign materials continue to be used rampantly, flouting ECI’s sustainability advisories and polluting the city. Ministers, official vehicles, and police/security staff have allegedly been misused for campaign purposes in breach of MCC. No public updates on enforcement actions, shadow registers, or show-cause notices have been released, preventing citizen oversight,” it adds.
The complainants have demanded: “Immediate removal of the current DEO for failure to enforce the MCC and monitor expenditure. Strict tracking of candidate spending, with shadow registers made public and audits conducted in real-time. Immediate removal of unauthorized campaign materials with costs added to candidate accounts. Promotion of the cVIGIL app for public reporting of violations, alongside voter education and outreach. Action against use of government resources for campaigning. Show-cause notices, disqualifications, and legal action under Sections 77, 78, and 10A of the Representation of the People Act, where applicable. Referral of excessive or unaccounted spending to the Income Tax Department”.
Meanwhile, Himanshu Jain, Ludhiana deputy commissioner-cum-DEO, said that nodal teams are working round the clock to remove illegal hoardings while the expenditure register is being maintained of each candidate for the advertisements they have put on legal sites. “We are removing more than 600 illegal hoardings/posters each day on an average (over 9,500 removed in total till now across the district). I have asked the teams to check the sites which are mentioned in the complaint. Also, senior observers from ECI are here to inspect expenditure registers of the candidates. All campaign material is also being scrutinized by MCMC. A multi-tier monitoring system is fully operational to audit expenditure of candidates. Multiple notices have been issued to candidates for MCC breaches and violations,” he added.