Election Commission’s placing curbs on candidature exceeding the ceiling on poll campaign expenditure has had a large effect on campaigning in Mumbai. Compared to other parts of Mumbai Metropolitan Region, campaigning in the metropolis lacks colour and the zing, as candidates don’t want to risk of being reprimanded or hauled up by EC.

One of the main reasons behind the EC personally monitoring campaigning in the 2014 national polls is, the government machinery even though is accountable to EC with the election code of conduct coming into effect, are often known to play a partisan role while supervising and maintaining a watch on campaigning in their jurisdiction.

Even though for the first time candidates and political maintained maximum restraint when it came to putting up hoardings, banners and cut outs during campaigning, yet around 4800 posters and banners were found illegally displayed in public places in the last three months, in Mumbai.Lasy year, approximately 3000 illegal posters, banners and cut outs were put up in public property while BMC looked the other way helplessly.

This is one of the reasons why EC operated a single window system for the 2014 parliamentary polls for granting sanction for all campaign-related activities including putting up posters, banners and cut outs and holding road shows and public meetings. The single-window system not only eliminated accusations being made against civic and police authorities of playing a partisan role and also facilitated in EC maintaining a detailed record on the poll expenditure of candidates and parties.

EC also roped in the Income Tax department to keep a round-the-clock vigil on flow of black money in the city. With the backing of EC, IT department and other revenue enforcement agencies have mounted a high alert against tainted funds being laundered during campaigning.

“EC has taken a grip of the situation and streamlined the system to bring in more transparency in elections. EC personally monitoring the overall management of the election this time has left no stone unturned for allegations that candidates are indulging in rampant violations of election code of conduct and the government machinery is siding with particular candidates or political parties. In the 20014 election, EC has brought in more transparency and created a better level-playing field for candidates and at the same time is not been viewed as a poll policing agency,” said an EC official.