Pamphlet trouble for L K Advani

The pamphlet, published by Advani8217;s Bharatiya Janata Party BJP and printed at Rajkalp Mudralaya Pvt Ltd, was distributed in Memnagar, Ghatlodia, Nirnaynagar, Ranip, and other parts of the Gandhinagar constituency.

Deputy chief electoral officer J.P. Jadeja said the office of the Chief Electoral Officer had ordered an inquiry by Gandhinagar Collector Sanjay Prasad, who is also the returning officer for the constituency.

Prasad said the use of the two photographs amounted to violation of guidelines set by the Election Commission. Since large areas of the Gandhinagar constituency fall in Ahmedabad district, Prasad has asked the district collector of Ahmedabad, in whose area the pamphlets were distributed, to submit a report.

Ahmedabad collector V.S. Gadhvi will find out how many copies of the pamphlet were printed and how many distributed. He will also find out if the BJP election office for the constituency had taken permission for printing the pamphlets.

Advani8217;s local agent has been asked to submit all the remaining copies of the pamphlet, with a declaration of how many were printed and distributed.Although the inquiry has been ordered by the Chief Electoral Officer, Prasad said, he, too, had received a complain about the pamphlet from a member of the Congress Baxi Panch Cell, L.K. Prajapati.

He said the action would be decided only after he obtained report from the Ahmedabad collector.

After the Kargil conflict became a major issue debated in the election, the Election Commission had, after deliberations, announced on August 19 that, considering the internationally acclaimed neutrality of the Indian armed forces, they should not be brought into comment or criticism during the election. All candidates had been informed of this.

Sources said that if the Election Commission finds a violation of the code of conduct, a police complaint can be lodged against the printing press and the person who placed the order.

Regarding the seizure of a car used in the campaign of Gandhinagar Congress Lok Sabha candidate, T.N. Seshan, on August 18, Prasad said it was not clear whether a Cielo or a Maruti Esteem car had been used. So he had ordered the seizure of both.

He said now it was clear that the Maruti Esteem had been used. The District Superintendent of Police, Gandhinagar, had been asked to seize the car, which is at a garage.