Be careful: EC to Maurya

Charged with violating the model code of conduct,the Election Commission has “advised” BSP state president and candidate from Padrauna Swami Prasad Maurya to be careful in future.

The EC had on February 15 issued notice to Maurya on the basis of a TV footage in which he was shown shouting and quarreling with a security personnel at a polling station in Tulsi Inter College at Padrauna constituency during the February 11 polling. The security personnel had objected over Maurya’s movement inside the polling station as he had not displayed his candidate I-card issued by the Returning Officer concerned.

In the notice,the EC had termed Maurya’s act an electoral offence and asked him to explain by February 17 why action should not be taken against him for violating the model code of conduct.

According to the EC,Maurya has in his reply denied the charges mentioned in the notice. It,however,noted that Maurya in the reply did not deny that he was not displaying his identity card. The incident would have been avoided as security personnel could have known that he was a contesting candidate,said the EC.