By Admin 
Bihar Assembly Election 2025: Amidst the Bihar Assembly elections, the troubles of Union Minister and Janata Dal United leader Lalan Singh are showing no sign of stopping. The Election Commission has issued him a notice for violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Along with this, the Commission has given 24 hours time to Lalan Singh to reply to the notice. In fact, Lalan Singh, who is campaigning for Anant Singh in Mokama, is allegedly heard saying in a video that ‘He is a leader, he is not allowed to leave the house on the day of voting. Have to pack it at home, if you add too much hands and legs, then take it with you and let the vote fall. In the meantime, let us know what action the Election Commission can take in such a case.
violation of code of conduct
The code of conduct is enforced by the Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections. Any attempt to threaten, influence or put pressure on voters is considered a corrupt practice under the code of conduct. In such a case, the Election Commission first seeks clarification from the accused leader or candidate and issues a notice. If no satisfactory reply is received by the candidate or the accused leader, the Election Commission can initiate disciplinary and legal action. Along with this, the Commission can also issue warnings, impose restrictions on campaigning, or in serious cases, disqualify candidates found guilty of misconduct.
provisions of the Indian Judicial Code
Voter intimidation is a criminal offense under the Indian Judicial Code. In this, Section 174 of the Indian New Code refers to undue influence and Section 351 classifies criminal intimidation. Under Section 174, whoever exerts undue influence or impersonates in an election can be punished with imprisonment of up to one year, or with fine, or with both. Along with this, in Section 351, if the threat is to harm a person’s body, reputation or property, then there is a provision of imprisonment of up to 2 years, fine or both. If the threat is serious enough, such as causing death or serious injury, the punishment can be up to 7 years and the fine can also increase.
powers of election commission
The Election Commission of India has many powers under Article 324 of the Constitution to strengthen the fairness of elections. In such cases, the Commission can ban leaders from campaigning for a certain period. Along with this, if information about threat is received then voting in the affected polling centers can be suspended or canceled.
If anyone is found guilty of using illegal means to influence voters, then a recommendation can be made to disqualify a candidate under the Representation of the People Act 1951. Along with this, the Representation of the People Act 1951 clearly defines corrupt practices like bribery, undue influence and intimidation of voters. These offenses are very serious, resulting not only in disqualification but also criminal prosecution.
Also read: What is the maximum number of votes that can be cast in EVM, know what is the limit