Supreme Court hearing today on banning political freebies before Lok Sabha polls

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the practice of political parties offering freebies during elections on Thursday, March 21. This development takes place just weeks before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which are set to commence on April 19.

Expressing the significance of the matter, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra stated, "This is important. We will keep this on board tomorrow (Thursday)," after the petitioner's lawyer sought an early hearing.

Plea Against Freebies

The PIL advocates for a complete ban on populist measures aimed at gaining undue political favor from voters. It argues that such promises of freebies violate the Constitution and calls for suitable deterrent measures by the Election Commission of India, as reported by news agency ANI.

Contentions in the PIL

The plea urges the apex court to declare that offering irrational freebies from public funds before elections unduly influences voters, disrupts the level playing field, and compromises the purity of the poll process. It describes this trend as a significant threat to democratic values and the spirit of the Constitution.

The petition also seeks to insert an additional condition in the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order 1968, prohibiting political parties from promising or distributing such freebies before elections. The petitioner argues that such practices violate several articles of the Constitution, including Article 14.

Lok Sabha Election Timeline

The 18th Lok Sabha elections, comprising seven phases, will kick off on April 19 and conclude on June 1. The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4. The nomination process for the initial phase, covering 102 parliamentary constituencies across 21 states and Union territories, commenced with the issuance of a notification on Wednesday.

This PIL brings to light crucial concerns about electoral practices and their adherence to democratic principles, setting the stage for an important legal debate ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.