Which of the following would be considered an offence of 'Undue influence at elections' under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 ? 1. Threatening a voter with injury of any kind 2. A promise of public action without intent to interfere with an electoral right Select the answer using the code given below :

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which replaced the Indian Penal Code, defines electoral offences in Chapter IX. Section 171 of the BNS specifically defines the offence of 'Undue influence at elections'.

• Statement 1 is correct: According to Section 171(2)(a), whoever threatens any candidate or voter, or any person in whom they are interested, with injury of any kind, is deemed to interfere with the free exercise of an electoral right. This act constitutes the offence of undue influence.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: Section 171(3) provides a clear exception, stating that a declaration of public policy or a promise of public action shall not be deemed to be interference within the meaning of this section. Similarly, the mere exercise of a legal right without intent to interfere with an electoral right is also excluded from the definition of the offence.

Since only the first statement describes an act that is legally classified as an offence, the correct option is A.