The Hindu : Front Page : Modi violated model code on election day: Congress

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 17, 2007
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Modi violated model code on election day: Congress

Special Correspondent

Urban constituencies of Ahmedabad district polled 59 to 61 per cent

— Photo: PTI

Gujarat goes to the polls: Vigil outside a polling centre in Ahmedabad on Sunday as voters come out after casting their ballots during the second and final phase of the elections to the Gujarat Assembly. At right, people whose names were not on the voters’ list display their electoral identity cards in the city.

NEW DELHI/GANDHINAGAR: The curtains have come down on a heated campaign in Gujarat which saw Chief Minister Narendra Modi being served notice by the Election Commission and a contempt notice by the Supreme Court. Congress president Sonia Gandhi was also given a show cause notice by the Commission, as was her party colleague, general secretary Digvijay Singh. BJP deputy leader in the Lok Sabha V.K. Malhotra was also served notice by the Election Commission.

Asked by journalists in New Delhi whether any decision on these notices would be taken before the counting of votes started on December 23, Central Election Commissioner spokesperson J.P. Prakash declined to comment.

Mr. Prakash said a presiding officer in Sankheda was removed for dereliction of duty and an election agent was booked under the Representation of the People Act for canvassing within 200 metres of a polling station.

Over 5,000 poll observers were posted inside polling stations in key areas and 6,000 video cameras were deployed to record the voting process in sensitive constituencies, Mr. Prakash said.

Gujarat Congress legal cell convener Krishnakant Vakhariya filed a complaint with the Election Commission demanding action against Mr. Modi for addressing his party workers on the compound of a polling station in Ranip locality under the Sarkhej Assembly constituency in Ahmedabad where he had cast his vote. Claiming that Mr. Modi not only violated the model code of conduct by giving a speech asking the voters to vote for the BJP, he also committed a criminal offence by going along with police commandos to various polling stations across the city.

The Congress also lodged complaints about some BJP candidates, including Education Minister Anandiben Patel, having used hired vehicles to ferry voters. Similar complaints were also lodged in Sarkhej, Kalupur and some other constituencies in Ahmedabad.

The urban constituencies of Ahmedabad district showed a comparative poorer turnout at 59 to 61 per cent. The district-wise voting pattern in other districts were: Gandhinagar 59 to 62 per cent; Banaskantha 65 to 66 per cent; Kaira 63 to 65 per cent; Sabarkantha 61 to 63 per cent; Patan 63 to 65 per cent; Vadodara 63 to 65 per cent; Mehsana 65 to 66 per cent; and Anand 62 to 63 per cent.

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