The Election Commission (EC) has set up a 14-member committee to suggest changes to Section 126 of the Representation of the People (RP) Act, which prohibits poll campaign in the last 48 hours leading to voting, in the wake of media expansion. Apart from suggesting modifications to the election law, the committee, constituted through an order dated January 8, will also study the impact of new media and social media during the “silence period” and its implication in view of Section 126 and suggest changes to the model code of conduct (MCC) accordingly. It has also been tasked to examine the difficulties faced in regulating media platforms during the prohibitory 48 hours in a multi-phase election. The committee, chaired by Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha, will submit its report within three months. Apart from nine officers of the EC, the panel will have one nominated member each from the I&B Ministry, Law Ministry, IT Ministry, National Broadcasters Association and Press Council of India. The order came almost three weeks after the commission withdrew its notice issued to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for giving interviews to TV channels on December 13, a day before the second phase of the Gujarat polls. The decision to issue Rahul a notice had evoked a strong reaction from the Congress, which questioned the move on the ground that it did not initiate action against news channels for airing BJP president Amit Shah’s interview and Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s press conference the same day as Rahul’s interview. The EC eventually withdrew its notice and announced, “The Commission is of the considered view that due to multifold expansion of digital and electronic media, the extant Model Code of Conduct, Section 126 of the RP Act, 1951, and other related provisions require revisiting to cater to the requirement and challenges of the present and emerging situations.” The committee was subsequently set up.
