Staff Reporter

PUDUCHERRY: The Election Department has the directed the staff deputed for poll duty to closely monitor the campaign of dummy candidates in the fray.

District Election Officer G. Ragesh Chandra said that field officers have been directed to monitor their campaign on a daily basis. It would be videographed and scrutinised, he said in a release.

Though in the electoral law there was no mention about dummy candidates, it had become a practice for political parties to field such candidates. The Election Commission believed that dummy candidates were put “for misusing” vehicle permission granted to the so called dummy candidates, the release said.

Other reasons for fielding such candidates were “to hoodwink the expenditure ceiling given by the Election Commission and use authorised polling agents, counting agents in favour of some other candidates.”

The “unhealthy practice” would disturb level-playing field at the polling station, counting centre and campaign process, the release said.

Therefore it was the endeavour of the Commission to maintain level-playing field for all the candidates in the fray by identifying and penalising the dummy candidates. Permission accorded for vehicle, election agents, polling agents would be reviewed. If dummy candidates are found to canvass for other candidates, their expenditure would be added to the expenditure of the candidates for whom they sought support.

If found violating the election rules, action would be initiated against such candidates under Section 171 H of the Indian Penal Code, the release said.