BHOPAL: The Samajwadi Party (SP) complained to Madhya Pradesh’s chief electoral officer (CEO), VL Kantha Rao in Bhopal on Monday that the model code of conduct was violated by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and state agriculture minister Gourishankar Bisen in Balaghat district.In their complaint, an SP delegation led by Kankar Munjare and Dr Sunilam alleged that two days after the model code came into force, Bisen carried out a rally without permission using over 20 buses, 50 four wheelers and 500 two wheelers to ply over 3,000 women to Balaghat town, where free sarees were distributed among the women, who were also given lunch, to influence votes.
The same day the minister laid the foundation of a Mangal Bhawan in Amuali village of Balaghat district as chief guest and also announced financial assistance for the building, which again amounted to violation of model code of conduct, added the complaint.
The SP delegation demanded that a case of poll code violation be registered and expenses incurred at both programmes be added to Biren’s poll expenditure.
Meanwhile, a case of poll code violation has been registered against two men (believed to be working for ruling BJP), Jaswant and Manat, at Sarani police station of Betul district for allegedly distributing patta (land lease papers) documents in Sarani municipal area. While four land lease papers have been seized from the duo, police said they received reports that they had already distributed 34 papers.