EC directs ministers, MLAs to leave Kota

Kota, Dec 3 (UNI) The Election Commission (EC) has issued a direction to ministers, chairmen of various boards, corporations and legislators to leave Kota Assembly constituency in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district in view of by-elections here on December 4.

The EC had sent a direction to the state Chief Election Commissioner in this regard on November 30 asking ministers, MLAs and others to leave the constituency as soon as campaigning ended.

However, orders in this regard were made available to district presidents of all political parties and candidates by the district election officer late afternoon.

Appeals were made on loudspeakers to non-voters from the constituency to leave Kota. However, compliance did not seem possible with some ruling BJP ministers openly flouting the order and Congressmen continuing campaigning from door to door.

A senior Congress legislator, on condition of anonymity, told UNI that the district administration deliberately did no release the order and was merely completing formality now.

The order must be first followed by the BJP leaders before expecting the Congress to follow it, he added.

UNI AS-PS MS VC2015