In Tripura thee Election Commission has placed some restrictions on interactions with the beneficiaries by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the poll going constituency areas of the three districts during his ‘Garib Kalyan Sammelan’ programme on Tuesday.
The EC decision came into force in view of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) that has already come into force from May 25 , the day announcement was made for ensuing June 23 by-elections to four assembly constituencies- Agartala, Town Bordowali, Surma (SC), and Jubarajnagar.
On Tuesday the Prime Minister is scheduled to interact with beneficiaries from across the country at the event to be held in Shimla.
Gitte said “in view of the Model Code of Conduct enforced in the poll going constituency areas falling three districts – West Tripura, Unakoti, and North Tripura- there will be no interactions with beneficiaries.”
When his attention was drawn to the ICA press release that in Prajna Bhawan there will be a programme, Gitte has pointed out that the venue is not located inside any poll going constituency.
“We have put restrictions on interactions with the beneficiaries. This is a national level event and anyone can access it in his mobile or TV ”, he has said.
The CEO has also indicated that the Election Commission is not inclined to put the entire district (s) for any unnecessary hardship in the name of the MCC.
Earlier , CPM secretary Jitendra Chowdhury in a letter to CEO Kiran Gitte raised the issue and urged him to take necessary actions.
In his letter to the CEO, which was also released to the media Chowdhury said that the Prime Minister’s Office had directed all the eight District Magistrates of Tripura to give wide publicity to the programme and arrange massive participation of people to hear the PM through giant screens at various places.
“Certainly, the Prime Minister shall not propagate failure of the schemes …. whatever might be the reality of these schemes in the state, he will propagate achievements of his government’s welfare schemes at the moment when MCC is enforced in three districts in connection with the by-election,” Chowdhury said.
He added that for this programme, the PM will make use of the government’s transmission machinery, the district administration, and the official media for furtherance of electoral prospects of his party.
“By propagating this programme, the Prime Minister intentionally violates para 4 of Section VII under the caption ‘Party in Power’ of MCC which categorically bars misuse of official mass media for publicity of achievements with a view to further the prospects of the party in power,” the CPI-M leader said.
The Left leader requested the CEO to intervene in the matter and stop this programme in adherence to the MCC in letter and spirit.
