Express News Service
LUCKNOW: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought a report from district election officers across Uttar Pradesh over a complaint filed alleging violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by the opposition Samajwadi Party which launched a door-to-door campaign last week to register the voters by filling a form to avail 300 units of free electricity in future.
Lawyer Yogesh Somvanshi of Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court had submitted a complaint to the ECI in this regard on January 20.
Confirming the action, the senior election official said that the ECI had sought a report from all 75 District Election Officers and that it was a routine process followed when a written complaint was submitted.
In the complaint, Somvanshi claimed that ahead of UP polls, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav not only made the oral promise of ensuring 300 units of electricity free if voted to power but he also proceeded to direct his party workers to approach voters door-to-door and get the “Samajwadi Form” filled up for availing of the sop in future.
Yogesh Somvanshi had also stated in his complaint to ECI that no political party should be allowed to gratify voters to influence them for voting for a political party. It is a violation of MCC, his complaint said. The complainant had claimed that the SP”s drive to register consumers to get 300-units of free electricity every month was a corrupt practice as defined under Section 123 of Representation of People’s Act, 1951.
On January 1, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had promised to provide 300 units of free electricity to households and completely free power to farmers for irrigation if elected to office in the UP assembly polls.
“It will be the number one promise on the Samajwadi Party manifesto,” the Samajwadi Party chief had told the media persons while interacting with them at his party office in Lucknow a day ahead of launching the form filling campaign on January 18.
“On coming to power, the SP government will give domestic consumers free electricity up to 300 units. Farmers will get free electricity to irrigate their fields. This will be our top promise,” the former UP chief minister had said. “This will be the first promise in the Samajwadi Party manifesto. And everyone knows that what SP promises, it delivers,” he had claimed.
After launching the drive on January 19, the SP workers had shared pictures and videos of people on social media showing them registering for the free electricity scheme.
