By IANS,
Hyderabad : The Election Commission of India Monday issued notices to the Andhra Pradesh government and a state minister for allegedly violating the model code of conduct for the May 29 by-elections.
Issuing the notices on complaints by opposition parties, the poll panel asked the Congress government and Agriculture Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy to submit their explanations by May 14 evening.
The government allegedly made certain announcements violating the model code which is in force for the by-elections to four Lok Sabha and 18 assembly constituencies.
The minister had criticized the election commission for not allowing the government to hold ‘Rytu Chaitanya Yatras’ or the programme for creating awareness among farmers for better agriculture practices.
State Chief Electoral Officer I.V. Subba Rao told newspersons here Monday evening that the commission has called the chief secretary to Delhi on May 16 to discuss the explanations by the government and the minister.
“I am sending the notice to the minister through collector of Anantapur district,” he said.
The main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had complained to the Commission that the state government was violating the model code of conduct by announcing sops.
For the last few days, the state government was heading on a collision course with the Commission for its decisions.
While taking objection to the Commission’s refusal to allow Rytu Chaitanya Yatras in 10 districts where by-elections are to be held on May 29, the agriculture minister had said that this would hit hard the farmers before the crop season.
“The Election Commission should have allowed the programme. Is it justice? It is absurd,” Reddy had said at a news conference on May 8.
Bowing to the pressure of the state government, the poll panel Friday gave its nod to conduct ‘Rytu Chaitanya Yatras.’
The commission, however, directed that no politician should take part in the programme in the 10 districts where by-elections are to be held.
Meanwhile, the TDP demanded that Raghuveera Reddy should quit owning moral responsibility.