After taking cognizance against serving free tea during `chai par charcha’ of Bharatiya Janta Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Umesh Sinha, on Tuesday sanctioned permission to the ruling Samajwadi Party, to use the word `Samajwadi’ on Ambulances and other government run schemes.
``State Election Commission office found nothing objectionable or violation of model code of conduct in using the word Samajwadi in government run schemes including ambulances and other health services", claimed information officer of the State Election Commission. Efforts were also made to contact CEO Umesh Sinha in this regard but he was unavailable for the comments. Information Officer disclosed that after getting report from districts, the State election commission draw the above conclusion sanctioning permission to use the word `Samajwadi’ even during the elections. Interestingly, during last Assembly elections in 2012, when Mayawati led Bahujan Samaj Party was in the power in Utttar Pradesh, Election Commission even ordered to cover the elephants terming it as violation of model code of conduct as the said statue is also symbol of the BSP.
However, this time the EC so far not draw any such conclusion and claimed that they would look into it only when they get any complaint in this regard. On Monday, a case has been also registered against the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leaders after they alleged to have served free tea during Narendra Modi’s popular `chai pe charcha’ programme in lakhimpur Kheri. Information officer of the SEC office said that since the BJP leaders had informed the local administration in Kheri that they will serve tea after taking money but had instead offered it `free’ so the local administration registered a case of violation of model code of conduct. He said that SEC also directed that any programme by any political parties must be ogranised only after taking prior permission and no items or services should be provided free of cost as it amounts to violation of model code of conduct. He said that the cost of organizing such programmes will be including in the expenditure of the local candidates or in the Party expenses.
Earlier, on last Saturday, Umesh Sinha claimed to have sought a detailed report on alleged violation of model code of conduct by the ruling Party by using the word `Samajwadi’ in ambulances and some other Central government sponsored schemes. ``Yes, we would certainly sought a detailed report in any violation of code of conduct has been made by the Government in using the word Samajwadi in their welfare schemes", disclosed CEO, Umesh Sinha, when asked whether he would ban use of word `Samajwadi’.