EC issues notice to Congress-led Karnataka govt for placing ads in poll-bound Telangana

The Election Commission on Monday issued a notice to the Congress-led Karnataka government over alleged model code of conduct violation by placing government ads in Telangana.

In a statement, the poll panel said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Telangana’s ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) had flagged that the Karnataka government published advertisements in Hyderabad editions of several newspapers.

The election commission said it examined its own records and found that neither such approval was granted by it nor any such application from Karnataka is pending for decision.

“The said act of giving advertisements highlighting the welfare schemes and achievements of the government by the Government of Karnataka in newspapers having circulations in poll going state of Telangana is in gross violation of the Commission’s above directions,” the EC notification stated.

The poll panel has asked the Karnataka government to explain the circumstances which led to the alleged violation of model code of conduct by November 28.

The EC has also directed the Siddaramaiah government to immediately stop the publication of any such ads in the state of Telangana. The government has also been asked to explain why disciplinary action is not taken against secretary-in-charge of the department of information and public relations for mentioned violations of poll code of conduct.