Ambedkar famously remarked in the Constituent Assembly, “However good a Constitution may be, it is sure to turn out bad because those who are called to work it happen to be a bad lot”. Well, it applies equally to any law or code framed for functioning of the country and its various public processes.

The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for guidance of political parties and candidates is a set of norms which has evolved with the consensus of political parties. They have consented to abide by the principles embodied in the said code. It binds them to respect and observe it in its letter and spirit. This code began to be implemented strictly in the 1990s and has been revised in 2013 by the Election Commission of India (EC).

The MCC is operational from the date on which the election schedule is a

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