ECI bars Jagadish Reddy from Munugode campaign for 48 hours

HYDERABAD: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday delivered a shocker to the TRS by barring its campaign manager for Munugode byelection, minister G. Jagadish Reddy, from any form of campaigning for 48 hours starting Saturday evening.

He should be away from any place that could be related to the ongoing election process in the constituency, it said.

The ECI orders followed its notice to Jagadish Reddy on Friday, seeking an explanation for violating the model code of conduct over his comments on not extending government scheme benefits for those who do not vote for the TRS in the November 3 election.

The ECI decision has placed a question mark over his participation in a planned public meeting on Sunday that is to be addressed by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao.

The ECI said it was censuring Reddy and prohibiting him from “holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, road shows and interviews, public utterances in media (electronic, print, social media) in connection with or having impact on ongoing byelection to 93-Munugode Assembly constituency for 48 hours starting 7 pm on October 29.”

The ECI said it was not buying Reddy’s argument in his reply that he never delivered any speech where he said all welfare schemes will be stopped if people do not vote for the ruling party candidate.

The ECI further said that it does not agree with his explanation that his statements were in Telugu and he does not know how the transcript of his speech was presented to the Commission.