What are the ethical dimensions that you will consider while solving the dispute?
You are the Election Commissioner of the country. Recently, elections are to take place in five states. Just before the elections, a party in one state splits due to some internal disputes. There are internal clashes within the party and none of the groups is able to decide regarding which is the original party. Both have claims that they are the original one.
In such a scenario, the main dispute issue becomes the allocation of the original party symbol to a particular group. Since it is the election time, and party symbols play a very important role in seeking votes, the settlement of dispute at the earliest is needed. And this decision lies upon your commission. The decision that you would provide is considered as final and binding upon the splinter groups.
How will you solve the dispute in such a short span of time? What are the ethical dimensions that you will consider while solving the dispute?
Analysis
Under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, the Election Commission is the authority to allot symbols to a political party. In case of party disputes, the Election Commission is the authority to decide whether both the split parties are recognized as political parties or any one.
Being the Election Commissioner, the first duty would be to see if the Party is a National party or a State party. In case it is a registered but unrecognized party, it would be advised to the party to approach the court or solve the disputes by themselves. And in case, it is a national or a state party, the Party which is supported by maximum number of M.P.s and M.L.A.s and majority of members, would be allotted the original symbol.
The cause of dilemma would be when both the factions gain a majority support. In such a case, bringing a consensus would be the best option by taking into consideration views from both the sides.
In the above case, since the dispute is just prior to the election, hearings from both the groups might take a long time. Till then, the best option would be to freeze the original party symbol and assign new symbols to both the groups. Once the election is held, detailed hearings from both the sides would be considered and a final decision can be reached.
