'Difference in views, should be': CEC slams row over Lavasa dissent

Delhi: The Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, on Saturday released an official statement down playing the differences between the election commissioners and has said, that “they are not expected to be templates or clones of each other.”

“The three members of EC are not expected to be template or clones of each other, there have been so many times in the past when there has been a vast diversion of views as it can, and should be,’ Arora said in the statement on election commissioner Ashok Lavasa’s purported letter to him.

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora issues statement on EC Ashok Lavasa's purported letter to him, says, 'an unsavory and avoidable controversy reported in sections of media today about internal functioning of ECI in respect of handling of Model Code of Conduct.' (3/3) pic.twitter.com/yuRxOHMaGL

— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2019

Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa, who disagreed with the poll panel’s decision to give clean chits to both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah for alleged MCC violations on several counts, recused himself from all such meetings till the commission includes minority decisions and the dissent is recorded in the final orders.

READ: Ashok Lavasa to stay out of EC code meet over clean chits to PM, Amit Shah

The model code of conduct lays down rules for parties, candidates and governments to abide by during the election period. It starts with the announcement of the election by the poll panel and concludes with the declaration of results.

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