CJP files complaint with ECI against Arunachal Minister Ojing Tasing for threatening voters with denial of welfare schemes The complaint argues that Tasing’s statements undermine free choice, violate Section 123 of the RPA, and threaten the neutrality of welfare schemes
10, Dec 2025 | CJP Team
A complaint has been filed by Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) before the Election Commission of India (ECI) against Arunachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister Ojing Tasing, after a video surfaced of him declaring that panchayat segments that do not vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be denied government welfare schemes. The remarks were made during a campaign rally in Lower Dibang Valley district on December 3, 2025, ahead of the December 15 local body elections.
The video—which has been widely circulated on social media and reported by The Wire—shows Tasing telling voters unequivocally:
“Government schemes will not go to those panchayat segments where the BJP is defeated… I do what I say.”
He reiterates the same statement moments later: “The panchayat segments where the BJP candidates lose will not get any scheme. As the panchayati raj minister, I mean what I say.”
The complaint argues that this constitutes a direct threat of withdrawal of welfare benefits, amounting to undue influence, coercion, and misuse of official position under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (Sections 123(2) and 123(8)), as well as a serious breach of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), which prohibits ministers from using their office to influence electors or making promises or threats linked to government schemes.
CJP, through its complaint, stresses that Tasing’s statement is not merely a political appeal, but an assertion made in his capacity as a sitting minister, explicitly invoking ministerial authority to condition access to State welfare on political loyalty. According to the complaint, this “strikes at the core of the principle of free electoral choice” and undermines the constitutional guarantee that public welfare funds belong to citizens, not to political parties or individual ministers.
It has also been noted that the Congress party in Arunachal Pradesh has already filed a separate petition with the State Election Commission, calling the remark “unlawful” and demanding Tasing’s resignation. The SEC has reportedly sought a factual report from the district administration.
CJP contextualises the issue within broader constitutional norms, stating that the Supreme Court has repeatedly emphasised that elections must be insulated from state-backed inducement or intimidation, and that public schemes cannot be used as instruments for conditioning votes. It references the MCC guidelines for ministers as well as the RPA’s prohibition on “threats of injury” to voters.
The complaint seeks:
- Immediate cognisance by the ECI;
- Proceedings under Sections 123(2), 123(8), and 171C IPC/Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita equivalents;
- A direction to the State Election Commission to file an FIR;
- Public censure of the minister;
- And consideration of his temporary removal from campaign responsibilities until the inquiry is completed.
It further argues that allowing such statements to go unaddressed risks setting a precedent where ministers feel free to link welfare access to political compliance, weakening public trust in the neutrality of governance.
While BJP state leaders have distanced themselves from the remark—calling it Tasing’s “personal opinion”—the complaint states that the issue is not personal expression, but the misuse of ministerial authority during an active election period, a matter squarely within the jurisdiction of the Election Commission.
The complaint may be read here.
Image Courtesy: nenow.in
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