The management of Allama Shibli College in Azamgarh has been issued a show cause notice by the Azamgarh district administration for a hosting a programme addressed by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on January 11 without seeking prior permission. The development was confirmed by the State Chief Electoral Officer, Umesh Sinha.
On his recent election tour of some eastern Uttar Pradesh districts, Mr. Gandhi had visited the famed Shibli College on January 10 and stayed in the college guest house for the night. In the morning of January 11 a ruckus was created by the boy students who were denied entry into the college following tight security. Some students, said to be activists of the Rashtriya Ulema Council, demanded an enquiry into the Batla House encounter of September 2008 and even burnt Mr. Gandhi's effigies. After addressing the girl students, the Congress general secretary left for his next halt, Mau.
In a related development, the district magistrates of Lalitpur and Chandauli were transferred on Saturday. This apart 15 candidates filed their nominations, bringing the total number of nomination papers submitted in the last three days to 45. Among those who submitted their papers on Saturday were four Bahujan Samaj Party candidates, three of the Samajwadi Party and one each of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal.
The Election Commission will come down heavily on the practice of dummy candidates being fielded by the political parties and candidates. The returning officers have been directed to keep a close watch on the vehicles used by the dummy candidates and their polling agents in the coming Assembly polls.
About the dummy candidates, the Chief Electoral Officer said that such candidates were fielded by the parties to show an increase in the poll expenses incurred by the official candidates. He said the vehicles used by the dummy candidates would be videographed and the statements of witnesses recorded before action is taken against them. The parties have been asked not to field dummy candidates.
On the cases related to the violation of the Model Code of Conduct, Mr. Sinha said according to the report of the Income Tax Department, Rs. 28.23 crore unaccounted money had been seized. This apart, the Muzaffarnagar police on Saturday seized Rs. 1.59 lakh fake currency from the Jansath area of the district.
In an interesting development and one which could invite action under the Model Code of Conduct, about a quintal of one rupee coins were confiscated from the hooter driven vehicle of the RLD candidate, Shahnawaz Rana in Bijnor. The vehicle was intercepted by the flying squad and static surveillance team.
