All kinds of promises are made by political parties before elections, we cannot control it: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Friday observed that all kinds of promises may be made before elections and that the Court cannot control such acts. [Bhattulal Jain vs Union of India].A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra made the comment while hearing a petition against promises being made by political parties ahead of assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. “Before elections all kinds of promises are made and we cannot control this,” said CJI Chandrachud while hearing the petition filed by Madhya Pradesh-based social worker, Bhattulal Jain. .The Court, however, listed Jain’s writ petition with a pending case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashwini Upadhyay who has sought directions to the Election Commission of India to seize election symbol and deregister political parties, which promise or distribute “irrational freebies” using public funds before elections. While issuing notice to the Central government, Election Commission of India and Madhya Pradesh Government on Jain’s petition, the Court asked him to delete Rajasthan Chief Minister’s office from the array of parties and implead the concerned State in its place. “Notice returnable in four weeks,” the Court added..Jain earlier had filed a Public Interest Litigation before the Madhya Pradesh High Court for directions to the Chief Minister to not make announcements and promises. He had also prayed for directions to look into the financial conditions of the State.The High Court on June 26 dismissed Jain’s plea on the ground that a PIL filed on the basis of newspaper report was not maintainable.Jain then moved the top court in appeal.