Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Om Prakash Rawat who is in Karnataka to supervise the poll preparedness has said the poll panel would take stringent action against any poll code violations. Addressing the media on Friday in Bengaluru he said poll panel would take prompt action to bar the BJP’s plan to host “community meals” at the culmination of its “a fistful of grains” campaign if it was found violating the model code of conduct.
He said “Nobody has formally brought this to our notice. However, the Commission will collect facts on it and if they (hosting of community meals) are found violating the model code of conduct, immediate action will be called for.”
“Mushti Dhanya Abhiyan” was launched by the BJP National President Amit Shah recently, under which farmers and party leaders will have a meal cooked from “a fistful of grains” collected from families of farmers’ households across the state and take an oath to prevent farmers’ suicides.
The community meals will be hosted on April 8, 9 and 10 in all towns with a population of over 10,000. However BJP state in-charge P Muralidhar Rao defended the community meals, saying these were not owned by the BJP and they would be doing it in a decentralised way.
On former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda’s complaint with the EC against the Siddaramaiah government for allegedly misusing its machinery for electoral gains, Rawat said his office would take stern action against extra constitutional personalities trying to meddle in the election machinery. “The Commission is seized of Deve Gowda’s complaints. We are collecting facts and investigating. If any extra-constitutional personalities try to meddle in the affairs of election machinery, the Commission will come down heavily on those people,” he said.
Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda ho had met Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat and demanded fair assembly elections in Karnataka. The JD(S) supremo submitted a memorandum with six complaints against the Siddaramaiah led congress Government for violation of the model code of conduct. In his letter to CEC Rawat and Karnataka Election Commission CEO Sanjiv Kumar, Deve Gowda alleged that the Government machinery was being misused.