Karnataka govt receives ECI notice over placing ads in Telangana

The ECI has asked the Karnataka Chief Secretary to provide an explanation for the MCC violation by 5 pm on Tuesday, November 28.

Hyderabad: The Karnataka government, led by the Congress was served with a notice by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by publishing advertisements in multiple newspapers in poll-bound Telangana.

In its notice, the ECI asked the Karnataka Chief Secretary to provide an explanation for the MCC violation by 5 pm on Tuesday, November 28.

The move came after the BJP and BRS brought to the notice of ECI about the MCC violation by Congress-led government.

The commission also reviewed its own documentation and discovered that no such application from the Karnataka government was pending a decision, nor had it been approved by it.

“The said act of giving advertisements highlighting the welfare schemes and achievements of the government by the Government of Karnataka in newspapers having circulation in the poll-going State of Telangana is in gross violation of the Commission’s directions,” the EC notice stated.

Apart from seeking an explanation, the poll panel asked the Chief Secretary of Karnataka government to immediately stop the publication of such advertisements in Telangana.

Furthermore, the Karnataka government was also asked for an explanation as to why disciplinary action must not be taken against the Secretary-in-charge of the Department of Information and Public Relations for the said violations.

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