The Election Commission today slapped a showcause notice on Union Agricultural Minister Sharad Pawar for violating Model Code of Conduct by announcing to start new sugar mills and revive sick ones at a election rally in Bihar on September 8. Pawar was asked to send his reply by September 16.The NCP chief’s announcement was made in Motipur, Muzaffarpur district, after the EC, in a letter (dated September 3) to the Cabinet Secretary and the Bihar Chief Secretary, detailed the ‘‘dos and don’ts’’, EC sources said.Chief Election Commissioner B B Tandon, who arrived in Muzaffarpur en route to Munger, Bhagalpur and Purnea, said after going through the reports and viewing the videography of the event, it prima facie appeared that the minister had violated the Model Code of Conduct.
