Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad   

Horatti to move court against EC

Staff Correspondent

Minister says he has done nothing illegal

Basavaraj Horatti

HUBLI: Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj Horatti said here on Sunday that he had done nothing illegal while campaigning for the party candidate in the byelection to the Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency.

Speaking to presspersons here after participating in the birth centenary programme of Gandhian Nagamma Patil, Mr. Horatti said he was contemplating moving the court against the Election Commission after looking at the response of the commission on the replies filed by him with regard to the notices served on him. The Minister wanted to know whether it was illegal seek votes for the party candidate during the election.

"It is not the first time that I met teachers in schools. I usually discuss with them regarding their problems and suggest suggestions. I only told them that since there was code of conduct in force, I could not give any assurance or make any announcement," he said. However, Mr. Horatti clarified that as a Janata Dal (Secular) leader he appealed to the teachers to vote for the party candidate.

Code of conduct

"I have read the code of conduct to be followed during elections. And, according to my knowledge, I have done nothing illegal. I have also replied in detail to the Election Commission's earlier notice," Mr Horatti said.

The Minister said after getting the second notice served on him, he would issue a reply based on the issues raised by the Election Commission.

"I will first go through the notices and then decide on taking the legal course based on the response to reply from the Election Commissioner", he said.

Mr. Horatti took exception to the direction of the Election Commission to all political leaders and party acativists to leave the constituency after the campaigning came to an end.

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