About Time Model Code of Conduct Becomes a Law

The Election Commission of India (ECI), the nation’s ‘impartial’ election ombudsman has severely damaged its own credentials and has failed to fulfil its Constitutional mandate. The run-up to the 2019 General Elections has seen numerous dubious incidents, potentially violative of the Model Code of Conduct, and yet the Commission’s response to these violations has remained woefully inadequate. The gravity of the situation can be understood from the fact that 66 former bureaucrats have written to the President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, accusing the ECI of a “weak-kneed response,” over violations of the MCC. This article shall highlight whether or not a need has arisen to give the Model Code of Conduct a statutory status.

Keywords:
Model Code of Conduct. Elections, Election Commission of India, Ethical Behaviour