Poll code ‘violation’: EC notice to Dileep Sanghani

The Election Commission of India on Wednesday issued a notice to State Law and Agriculture Minister Dileep Sanghani for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct for elections.

The notice pertained to Sanghani's attending a function organised to honour him by Muslims at Amreli, his home town. Amreli also happens to Saghani's Assembly constituency.

When contacted, he said a minister was forbidden for attending government functions after announcement of elections, not private functions.

"I attended a function organised by my well-wishers and supporters from the Muslim community on October 5. They also garlanded me on the occasion," Sanghani said.

"But I am at a loss to understand how does my attending a private function amounted to violation of electoral laws," he stated.

"ECI officials should have first inquired the issue from the district officials to confirm if it was a government function or a private one," he further said.

"ECI seems to be working under the influence of the Congress-led UPA regime," Sanghani added.

Parul Group of Institutes chairman booked

The Vadodara district electoral officer and Waghodia mamlatdar on Wednesday lodged an FIR against the chairman of Parul Group of Institutes, Jayesh Patel, for allegedly luring voters by distributing sarees and calendars with Congress party symbols in villages within Vaghodia constituency.

The FIR was lodged at Waghodia police station under section 1717 B and 171 E of Indian Penal Code (IPC) considering such an act as bribery under the model code of conduct.

The FIR was lodged after coordination officer of the model code of conduct N V Chudasama submitted a detailed report on the same to the chief state electoral officer. The expenditure monitoring control room in Vadodara had also received a complaint about the incident.

As per the FIR, Patel's men distributed sarees and calendars between October 4 and October 8, when the model code of conduct had come into force. The sarees and calendars bearing Congress party symbol were distributed under the aegis of Parul Arogya Seva Mandal.

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