Countdown begins

81.4 crore people to vote for 16th Lok Sabha

• Level-playing field should not be affected: CEC
• Arunachal declared as expenditure sensitive state
• Paid news should be made an offence, says EC

New Delhi: As it announced Lok Sabha poll schedule, the Election Commission said the model code of conduct has come into effect which bars any authority from taking any action that would favour the ruling party.

Elections for the 16th Lok Sabha elections will be held between April 7 and May 12 and involve an electorate of 81.4 crore.

"The Election Commission would like to clarify once again that model code is an instrument to ensure that level playing field is not disturbed during the course of elections...

"Any action which is taken by any authority will be examined with regard to these parameters," Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath told reporters.

He said that "One of the aspects of the model code is that the party in power will not get any undue advantage." The reminder to the government came amid speculation that the Union Cabinet will consider tomorrow some ordinances.

Responding to another question, Sampath said the EC is "clear" about use of the "instruments" available to it and there should be no doubt over the effectiveness of the model code of conduct.

"We have never hesitated to use our power," Sampath stressed.

With Arunachal Pradesh being declared as one of the "most expenditure sensitive state" in the country, the Election Commission has constituted a high powered committee to monitor election expenditure in the state, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) C B Kumar said.

"The commission, based on inputs has identified 23 assembly constituencies (total 60 in the state) in six districts of the state as most expenditure sensitive," Kumar said.

"Paid news", or political advertisements disguised as journalism, should be an offence, the Election Commission said. "There is no law explaining paid news as an offence. We have made a proposal to the law ministry to make it an electoral offence," CEC V Sampath said after announcing that national polls from April 7 to May 12. Sampath had written to editors on March 1 cautioning them against publishing paid news, which he has described as the biggest threat to fair polls.

In the 2009 election, many politicians were accused of using "paid news" to gain an edge over their rivals without overshooting the poll expenditure limit. In his letter to editors, Mr Sampath wrote, "A fair election is about ensuring a level playing field and keeping out undue influence."

The Election Commission has pegged the paid news or political advertising market at around Rs. 500 crore.

In November, the government introduced a draft law that prescribed suspending the licence of publications that publish paid content as news or analysis.