The BJP on Friday registered a complaint with the Election Commission against Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh for violating Model Code of Conduct while he was on tour of Andhra Pradesh.
In a memorandum to the Commission, senior BJP leaders Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, and Sushil Kumar Modi said while being a Member of the Union Council of Ministers, Ramesh has been touring Andhra Pradesh extensively, where the Election Commission is holding elections simultaneously to the lok Sabha as well as the legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh, and thereby “violating the Model Code of Conduct.”
The party demanded “suitable action against” the Union Minister after an enquiry. The BJP alleged that Ramesh “has willfully flouted” Code of Conduct “by combining official work with party propaganda”. His retinue, the BJP leaders said, included the AICC in charge of SC Cell, Koppula Raju and Prasadula Harinath, Rajahmundry city Congress president.
The Minister visited the Polavaram Project and held detailed discussions with the engineers on site despite not being the Minister in-charge of the Project.