New Delhi, Feb 22: Even as a controversy has been triggered on the proposal to use government aircraft by Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani during the coming Lok Sabha polls, provisions of the model code of conduct dealing with the 'party in power' clearly prohibit such an usage by anyone except the Prime Minister. The model code of conduct is applicable to all political parties, including ministers of the ruling party, but the Prime Minister has been made an exception because of the paramount concern for the security of the country's chief executive whose role is defined in the ''blue book'' of governance.
Clause 1 (B) of Chapter VII of the code of conduct stipulates that ''the government transport, including official aircraft, vehicles, machinery and personnel shall not be used for furtherance of the interest of the party in power”.
While the Election Commission is seized of the home ministry's demand, the BJP has already booked a jet aircraft for Advani for electioneering.
Formulated way back in 1967 following a consensus among political parties, the model code of conduct was initially observed more in abeyance than in practice by most of the parties.
The Supreme Court, in a ruling of the early 1990s, held that the model code would be applicable from the announcement of the poll dates.
Emboldened by the apex court ruling, the then Chief Election Commissioner T N Seshan exerted his authority to ensure that no political parties flouted the model code.
The main opposition Congress, however, has now raised its objection about the date from which the model code should be observed. The party wants that it should be enforced from the date of the dissolution of a legislature and not from the date of poll notification. Bureau Report