Between the announcement of polls in five states in October and the end of the campaign on Tuesday, the EC issued 10 show-cause notices – including six to politicians, three to political parties, and one to the Karnataka government – over different violations of the model code of conduct. However, instead of taking immediate action, the EC chose a conscious course of action by firmly pointing out the alleged violations and waiting for the errant politician to make a course-correction. This approach is seen as successful in lifting the level of poll-time political discourse and reducing attacks on the panel for not doing its job well. The show-cause notices serve as a deterrent to future violations and promote decency in public discourse.