Minister fined for Code of Conduct violation

Guwahati, Mar 22: The Election Commission (EC) has imposed a fine on Asom secondary Education Minister Hem Prakash Narayan for violating the model code of conduct.

Disclosing this at a press meet here yesterday, state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) J P Prakash said Mr Narayan had been fined for using government vehicles for campaigning purpose.

Tezpur zilla parishad chairperson Buddheswari Bhuyan of Congress had been served a show cause notice while the Bhergaon (Ugalguri) block development officer had been suspended for neglect of election duty, Mr Prakash informed.

He added that the AGP's Sankardev Nagar unit, Hojai, had also been warned for using a government office for election purposes.

The CEO informed that all recognised political parties had been asked to submit a list of 40 leaders who would campaign for the party. The expenses of these leaders would go into the party account while that of any other leader whose name was not included in the list, would be incurred by the candidate.

For unrecognised parties, the figure had been put at 20.

Mr prakash said 838 operations were conducted till Saturday, 82 illegal firearms and 400 rounds of ammunition had been recovered, besides large quantities of gelatine sticks, handmade grenades and other explosives.

He informed that 15 nominations were received yesterday for the second phase of polls on April 10, taking the number to 26.

Meanwhile, the three-member EC team of Chief Election Commissioner B B Tandon and Election Commissioners Navin Chawla and I Gopalaswami are scheduled to arrive here today evening to review poll preparations.

UNI