ECI censures Jagadish Reddy, prohibits him from campaigning for 48 hours

Election Commission of India has censured Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy for ‘intimidation of voters’ and violation of the Model Code of Conduct

Hyderabad: The Election Commission of India has censured Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy for ‘intimidation of voters’ and violation of the Model Code of Conduct, and prohibited him from holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, road shows and interviews, public utterances in media, which could be in connection with or having impact on the Munugode by-poll, for 48 hours from Saturday.

In an order issued in connection with the show cause notice issued to the Minister on Friday following a complaint from the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Commission said it had gone through his reply, submitted via the Chief Electoral Officer, Telangana, and that it was convinced that the tone and tenor of the speech made by him was ‘in the nature of intimidation of voters and thus a violation of the Model Code of Conduct’.

---

Stating that as a Minister and star campaigner for the TRS party in the bye-election to Munugode, Jagadish Reddy had the added responsibility to lead by example and uphold the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct, the Commission said it was issuing the order under Article 324 of the Constitution.

Earlier in the day, the Minister, in his reply to the show cause notice said he had never delivered any speech stating that all welfare schemes would be stopped if people do not vote to the contesting candidate. It was an attempt by him to explain the welfare schemes of the State Government, he said, pointing out that his statement did not fall under the definition of corrupt practices.