The EC on Monday received a factual report from the Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Lakku Venkateshwarlu on the remarks made by BSP supremo Mayawati appealing to Muslims to vote for the SP-BSP alliance in the upcoming Lok Sabha election and not to allow the Congress to split their votes. Venkateshwarlu had asked the Sharanpur district magistrate on Sunday to send him a factual report on Mayawati’s remarks in order to allow the poll panel to ascertain whether the comments were violative of the Model Code of Conduct, in force since March 10.
In her speech at Deoband on April 7, BSP chief Mayawati had called upon Muslims to vote for SP-BSP alliance, and not for the Congress.
Mayawati’s open appeal to the minority community came at the first joint rally her party held with the Samajwadi Party at Deoband in the last two decades. Samajwadi Party (SP) president and former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was also present in the rally.
Sources in the EC said that the report of the Saharanpur district magistrate was forwarded to the EC and a decision on whether the remarks violated the poll code was expected in the next two days.
The model code states: “There shall be no appeal to caste or communal feelings for securing votes.”