EC orders leaders with govt security to leave area by tomorrow

Rae Bareli, May 5 (UNI) The Election Commission today issued notices to leaders having official security, including Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi and various other leaders, to leave the high-profile Rae Bareli constituency by 1700 hrs tomorrow.

However, Priyanka Vadra, younger sibling of Rahul and an SPG protectee, would stay here since she has been appointed the election agent of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who is seeking re-election after resigning from the parliamentary constituency following the office of profit controversy.

Campaigning would end by 1700 hrs tomorrow.

The EC notice also directed all the candidates in the fray for the May 8 bypoll, including Ms Gandhi, BJP's Vinay Katiyar and Samajwadi Party's Rajkumar Choudhary to remove all posters, hoardings and banners by midnight tonight, which have been posted without the permission of the municipal corporation.

Issuing the notice, Rae Bareli District Magistrate and Returning Officer Jitendra Kumar said if the candidates failed to remove the posters and banners by midnight, the municipal corporation would carry the cleansing exercise tomorrow morning and the necessary expenses would hbe borne by the respective candidates.

Sources said the notice was general in nature. Such notices are issued to prevent candidates from pasting posters and hanging banners on school buildings, electricity and telephone poles which are considered to be government property.

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