Chennai: Election Commission on Saturday night issued separate notices to Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and DMK chief M. Karunanidhi for violating model code of conduct by not “reflecting rationale for the promises” made in their parties’ manifestos and ways to meet financial requirements for implementing them.
In identical notices issued to the two leaders late on Saturday night, the Election Commission asked both of them to explain their stand for non-compliance of guidelines of the agency.
The Commission said it issued the notices based on a complaint filed by former bureaucrat M.G. Devasahayam who said both parties have made some promises in their manifesto that violate the guidelines. “The Commission has gone through your party manifesto and has prima facie found that your manifesto has not substantially fulfilled the guidelines of the Commission on election manifestos,” K. Ajaya Kumar, Senior Principal Secretary, Election Commission, said in identical notices issued to Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi.
The EC asked these leaders to furnish their response by 5 pm on May 15, 2016 by broadly indicating the financial means for implementing the promises “failing which further appropriate action will be taken”.
