MP: LoP Govind Singh writes to ECI urging it to direct state govt to stop making new announcements

Bhopal: Veteran Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Govind Singh on Monday wrote a letter to Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding to direct the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government not to make any new announcements as the party released its first list of 39 candidates for the 230-seat Madhya Pradesh assembly.

The letter read, “Madhya Pradesh assembly elections are likely to be held in the month of November this year. The ruling party BJP has started its preparations for the election by releasing the first list of 39 candidates. Any kind of announcement at this time will directly come under the category of giving inducements to the voters, which is a clear violation of the model code of conduct.”
“Therefore, it is requested to direct the Madhya Pradesh government about not making any new announcement so that the election process can be completed in a fair and transparent manner,” the letter further states.

Meanwhile, Singh said, “The central leadership of the BJP has announced the first list of 39 candidates for the state assembly polls which is likely to be held in November this year and the candidates have started campaigning in full swing. Now, at such a time, when the candidates have been declared, the election process has started, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is making many announcements to impress the voters by luring the public.”
Money is being distributed in different names, so CM Chouhan is doing the work of luring the voters in this way. Hence, he has requested the Chief Election Commissioner to direct the state government not to make new announcements and to ban the new announcements made by the Chief Minister, the congress leader added.

Notably, the BJP released its first list of 39 candidates for the 230-seat state assembly on last Thursday, August 17. In the list released by the party five of the 39 candidates announced are women. Of these 39 seats, 21 are for the candidates from the reserved categories which include eight from scheduled Caste (SC) and 13 from Scheduled Tribes (ST)