EC asks Chief Secy to recover cost of chopper use from Virbhadra

The EC noted that the use of state chopper for political purpose is a violation of model code of conduct, which came into force in the state on the date of announcement of polls. Therefore, the state Government should not defray the expenditure for the use of helicopter nor meet the said expenditure from the departmental funds but recover the same from the user/users of it.

Meanwhile, in another case of violation of model code, the EC has issued a show-cause notice to Gujarat BJP MLA Pradeep Singh Jadeja for allegedly distributing pamphlets showing photographs of himself and Narendra Modi with pictures of Hindu Goddesses and the lotus symbol of BJP.

The pamphlets were said to have been distributed during a garba during Navaratri in the Asarwa Assembly constituency area in violation of the model code of conduct, which prohibits any appeal on caste or communal basis for securing votes and use of places of worship as a forum for election propaganda. The Commission also directed the Chief Electoral Officer of Gujarat to file a complaint under Representation of the People’s Act against the printers/publishers of the pamphlets and the persons who got the same printed.