CEO orders probe into complaints against Chouhan

Bhopal, Apr 5 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Vijay Patidar has ordered an inquiry into the complaint against Chief Minister and BJP nominee Shivraj Singh Chouhan for alleged misuse of official machinery in the run-up to the Assembly byelection in Sehore's Budhni constituency.

''An officer has been deputed to probe into the complaint lodged by a Congress delegation yesterday'', Mr Patidar told UNI. The matter will be referred to the Election Commission if there was prima facie evidence of violation of the model code, he added.

The complaint against Mr Chouhan relates to an announcement about waiving of electricity dues of farmers at a public meeting at Sehore, publication of an advertisement regarding his visit and ''misusing'' official machinery including the Regional Transport Officer for arranging transport for the people attending the meeting.

Mr Chouhan, who is still a Lok Sabha member, filed his nomination papers at Sehore yesterday for the April 24 election in Budhni, which he had represented in 1990. He took over as Chief Minister on November 28 last year.

Besides Mr Chouhan, Gondwana Gantantra Party nominee Gulzar Singh Markam also filed the papers from Budhni so far.

UNI PKJ-SP TM RK1845