RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, April 16: The ruling parties of Jharkhand- JMM and Congress-have lodged a complaint against the BJP with the State Election Commission (SEC) alleging the latter was violating the Model Code of Conduct applicable for the Panchayat election in the state.
Demanding action against the BJP, a four-member delegation of the JMM and the Congress submitted that though the model code of conduct is in force in the state since April 9, the union ministers of the BJP-led NDA government have planned visits to Jharkhand.
The delegation alleged that union ministers are meeting representatives of NGOs and SHGs besides party workers and government functionaries and thus it is being suspected that they in the name of state tour are making their all efforts to influence the Panchayat elections.
The delegation included Binod Pandey, Supriyo Bhattacharya from JMM, Rajiv Ranjan Prasad and Ravindra Singh from the Congress.
“The panchayat elections are being conducted on a non-party basis. The elected representatives of the political parties of the state have been kept away from all election work. Under the code of conduct, the announcement and assurance of public welfare schemes have been prohibited in any way except for reasons expedient by the state government. In such a situation, the arrival of union ministers is a complete violation of the code of conduct,” they argued.
