Model Code of Conduct Will Come Into Force on Premature Dissolution of State Assembly, Says Election Commission

New Delhi: In what could apply to Telangana now, the Election Commission on Thursday said the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) would come into effect immediately after the premature dissolution of a state legislative assembly with caretaker government deprived of all powers to take policy decisions. “The Commission has considered the matter of application of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in the cases of premature dissolution of legislative assembly where a caretaker government has been asked to carry on the administration of that state or Union Territory for the purposes of free, fair, transparent, and robust electoral process. “On careful consideration of the matter, keeping the observation of Supreme Court in S.R. Bommai and Others versus Union of India and Others (1994), that the caretaker government should merely carry on the day-to-day governance and desist from taking any major policy situation decision in view,” the poll panel said in an order. The EC said that in such cases the provisions of Part-VII of the Model Code of Conduct shall come into operation “with immediate effect” in the state concerned and will continue to be in force till the completion of the election to constitute the new legislative assembly. (IANS)