LS POLLS

Poll panel serves notice on Kasaragod's LDF candidate for using children, horse in roadshows

Kasaragod: The Election Commission on Friday, April 5, served a show-cause notice to CPM leader and LDF candidate in Kasaragod Lok Sabha constituency, M V Balakrishnan, for allegedly violating a series of model codes of conduct.

Model Code of Conduct Nodal Officer and Kanhangad Sub-Collector Sufiyan Ahmed, who issued the notice for at least seven violations, gave Balakrishnan 48 hours to reply.

Balakrishnan used children during his election rally in Kasaragod and a horse in another rally in Payyannur's Nhekly in the first week of April, according to the show-cause notice. Firecrackers were also burst during these election rallies, it said.

According to the Election Commission's letter to the Chief Secretaries on January 2, bursting of firecrackers and carrying firearms shall not be permitted at all. Display of animals in road shows is also totally banned, said the same letter. Children, particularly schoolchildren in uniform, should not take part in road shows, the letter said. "I found the photographs of M V Balakrishnan's campaign violating the Model Code on his Facebook page. The show-cause notice was issued suo moto," Ahmed told Onmanorama.

Balakrishnan also allegedly used vehicles for campaigning without prior permission, altered the appearance of another vehicle without permission and used it in Kasaragod's Badiadka panchayat, used loudspeakers without permission, and held a road show without permission, the show-cause notice said.

According to the Model Code of Conduct, candidates should furnish the details of vehicles being used for campaigning and the areas where they will be deployed before campaigning commences. But the LDF candidate has not furnished any such details, said the Nodal Officer for Model Code of Conduct.

The LDF candidate had been allegedly violating the model code since he was declared the candidate by the party in February. "But since he had not filed his nomination papers, we could not serve a notice to him. So we sent the show-cause to his party (CPM)," the officer said.

The CPM District Secretary in charge C H Kunhambu replied to the show-cause notice. "It was a generic reply. The secretary denied committing any violations," he said.

But the Nodal Officer said he saw the LDF's campaign continued to violate the code. "The most important violation was that they were using minors, children in all their roadshows. It is a clear violation. How can they use minors in roadshows," Ahmed said.

So far, the LDF has not taken any permission for roadshows, vehicles, modifying vehicles or using loudspeakers. Once the permit is issued, it should be stuck on the windshield.

"Animals and firecrackers are not allowed in election campaigns at all. Children cannot be used in roadshows," he said.

The Nodal Officer said if Balakrishnan's explanation is not satisfactory, he would recommend action against the candidate. "The action would depend on what the Election Commission of India decides. It can range from a censure to a ban on campaigning," he said.