Banners, buntings removed in Chamundeswari

Mysore, Nov 24 (UNI) Stung by reports of excessive use of banners and buntings by political parties, the authorities today removed them from various parts of Chamundeswari Assembly constituency, going to the polls on December 4.

Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer S Selva Kumar directed the candidates to adhere to the model code of conduct and the guidelines stipulated by the Election Commission.

He warned that disciplinary action would be taken against those candidates violating the model code of conduct. A team of ten videographers had been formed to record such violations and the Mysore City Corporation had constituted three teams to ascertain if public places were being disfigured.

Besides, two teams have been formed to keep a watch on the rural segments and empowered to initiate legal action against violators.

The teams, accompanied by policemen, have also been empowered to inspect vehicles used for election campaign.

Permission had been granted to put up posters, banners and buntings in 264 places in urban areas and 610 places in rural areas of the constituency. The police have registered 49 complaints, imposed fines amounting to Rs 1.03 lakh in urban areas and Rs 66,460 in rural areas so far.

Meanwhile, two former ministers and suspended JD(S) leaders A K Subbiah and Vyjanath Patil appealed to the EC to conduct the bypoll in a free and fair manner, especially ''when the entire state machinery was involved in wooing the electorate''.

They said they would take up campaigning in favour of Congress candidate Siddaramaiah to ''save democracy''.

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