Days ahead of the Telangana Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued an advisory to Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to follow the model code of conduct, besides a notice to his son-minister K T Rama Rao.
The advisory, published by the poll panel on its website on Saturday, said the EC had received a complaint from Telangana NSUI President Dr Balmoori Venkat Narsing alleging that the Chief Minister, a star campaigner for his party, had made “derogatory and provoking comments” while addressing a rally in Banswada constituency on October 30.
“Election Commission of India vide its instruction dated 9.10.2015, related to Mode Code of Conduct -maintenance of high standards in the election campaign has instructed that all the political parties, their leaders in all capacities and the contesting candidates observe utmost restraint and decency in their election campaign speeches and set an example in the matter of maintaining high standards of conduct and behaviour in election campaigns,” the advisory read.
“You are hereby advised to follow the provisions of the MCC in letter and spirit as contained in the above ECI’s instructions,” it added.
The Election Commission also issued notice to the ruling BRS working president and IT Minister K T Rama Rao. The notice alleged that Rama Rao visited a government institution, ‘T-works,’ and engaged in political activities, violating the Model Code of Conduct.
Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala filed a complaint against KTR, wherein he alleged that the IT Minister, a star campaigner for BRS visited the office of ‘T-works’ and interacted with a large number of youth employed in the office on November 20.
The election commission stated that acting on the complaint, a factual report was taken from the Telangana Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in the matter. Referring to the provisions of MCC that the ministers shall not combine their official visit with electioneering work and shall not also make use of official machinery or personnel, the Commission in its notice observed that, Rama Rao, is not only a contesting candidate in the upcoming assembly election but also a start campaigner of the BRS.
“The Commission is, prima facie, held that by visiting a government institution and using the platform of T-works for political activities and combining your official visit with political/ private visit, you have violated the above-said instruction of the Model Code of Conduct; and therefore, the Commission gives you an opportunity to explain your stand in respect of the above visit and use of a Government Institute for political purposes by 3:00 PM on November 26, 2023,” the notice of ECI read further.
