Conduct Rule No.5: Taking Part In Politics And Elections

5.    Taking Part In Politics And Elections:-

(1)   No railway servant shall be a member of, or be otherwise associated with, any political party or any organization which takes part in politics nor shall he take part in, subscribe in aid of, or assist in any other manner, any political movement or activity.

(2)   It shall be the duty of every railway servant to endeavor to prevent any member of his family from taking part in, subscribing in aid of, or assisting in any other manner any movement or activity which is, or tends directly or indirectly to be subversive of the Government as by law established and where a railway servant is unable to prevent a member of his family from taking part in, or subscribing in aid of or assisting in any other manner, any such movement or activity, he shall make a report to that effect to the Government.

(3)   If any question arises whether a party is a political party or whether any organization takes part in polities or whether any movement or activity falls within the scope of sub-rule (2) the decision of the Government thereon shall be final.

(4)   No railway servant shall canvass, otherwise interfere with, or use his influence in connection with or take part in, an election to any legislature or local authority.

Provided that;

(i)    A railway servant qualified to vote at such election may exercise his right to vote, but where he does so, he shall give no indication of the manner in which he proposes to vote or has voted;

(ii)    A railway servant shall not be deemed to have contravened the provisions of this sub-rule by reason only that he assists in the conduct of an election in the performance of a duty imposed on him by or under any law for the time being in force.

Explanation:-

The display by a railway servant on his person, vehicle or residence of any electoral symbol shall amount to using his influence in connection with an election within the meaning of this sub-rule.

Railway Ministry’s Decision:-

(1)   Railway servants wishing to join the Bharat Sevak Samaj should obtain prior permission from the Head of the Department. This permission will not, however, absolve them from the observance, at all times, of the rules and instructions relating to the conduct and behavior of the Railway servant.

[Authority: No.E(D&A)64GS1, 27.05.1964]

(2)   The Railway servants should not only be impartial but they should appear to be impartial in relation to the elections. They should not take part in any election campaign nor should they canvass. They should always take scrupulous care not to lend their names, official position of authority to assist one group as against another. Any disregard of these instructions will be considered as serious act of indiscipline. Their attention is drawn to the provisions in section 134(A) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 which reads as under:

‘If any person in the service of the Government, acts as an election agent or a polling agent or a counting agent of a candidate at an election he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend upto 3 months or with fine or with both’.

[Authority: E(D&A)66GS1-15, 27.12.1966]

(3)   Political neutrality of Railway servants:- It is essential that Railway servants should not only maintain political neutrality but should also appear to do so and they should not participate in the activities of, or associate themselves with any organization in respect of which there is the slightest reason to think that the organization has a political aspect or with organizations banned by the Government.

[Authority: No.E(D&A)69GS1-25, 31.01.1970, NS Policy/19, 11.03.1976]