Ruling BJD on Thursday alleged that the Congress party in guise of the UPA Government at the Centre had violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the ongoing Urban local Body (UlB) elections, the process of which began from August 12 and urged the State Election Commission (SEC) for his intervention in the matter.
A delegation of the BJD-led by Biju Mahila Janata Dal president Pramila Mallick and Biju Yuva Janta Dal president Sanjaya Das Burma met State Election Commissioner Ajit Kumar Tripathy and submitted a memorandum demanding stringent action against Congress and the UPA Government for the violation of MCC and ensure free and fair elections.
The BJD alleged that the Indian National Congress (INC) in the guise of Government of India had been sponsoring advertisements in different news papers in Odisha highlighting various welfare schemes of different Ministries thereby influencing the voters while MCC was in vogue for the ongoing UlB polls. They alleged that the attempt by the Congress and the Union Government is in gross violation of the notification of SEC issued on August 12 last and its MCC guidelines which would remain in force from August 15 to September 20.
Quoting the MCC provision that an advertisement or publication with funding by the Central and State Governments or public sector undertakings, corporations and co-operatives, etc highlighting achievements to influence the voters in elections is violation of the MCC, the BJD pointed out that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry, Ministry of Power and Rural Electrification, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Women and Child Welfare, Ministry of Housing, Urban Poverty Alleviation, Ministry of labour and Employment and Employees’ State Insurance Corporation of the Government of India had displayed their welfare measures through advertisements to unduly influence the urban voters of the State.
Such massive publication of advertisements with expenditures from public exchequer is aimed at furthering the prospects of a particular political party, the memorandum said. “It is amply clear that INC being the party in power at the Center has misused its official position for the purpose of its election campaign in connection with the ensuing elections to UlBs in Odisha.
The party has used public resources and incurred huge expenditure from public exchequer to eulogise itself and enhance the personal image of the leaders by way of publishing their photographs which undoubtedly amount to their party election campaign at public cost,” it alleged. Das Burma also raised the issue during the Zero Hour in the Assembly on Thursday and sought a ruling from the Chair on the issue to restrain the Congress from resorting to illegal means to further its position.