New Delhi: Major political parties barring the Bahujan Samaj Party on Monday opposed any restriction on them in announcing freebies in election manifestos, claiming that this was their prerogative.
The Election Commission had convened a meeting of various national and regional political parties convened to seek their views on the issue of freebies offered by them in poll manifestos and framing of guidelines thereof. Representatives of six national and 24 regional parties attended Monday’s meeting and conveyed their respective party stands on the issue of framing of guidelines on election manifestos by the poll body.
Except for BSP, all major national political parties were unanimous in their views that there should be no restriction of any kind in regulating election manifestos.
