A detailed report on the alleged violation of election code of conduct by Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi will be submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nalini Netto by Monday after collecting all materials regarding the issue, election officials said here.
According to the officials, District Collector V.K. Balakrishnan had faxed a preliminary report to the CEO on Saturday when the latter sought a report on a complaint filed by Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA M. Prakashan.
In his complaint to the Election Commission Mr. Prakashan alleged that the minister had violated the model code of conduct by announcing Rs 5 lakh for sports development at a college in Koothuparamba during his visit to the campus recently.
Sources close to the district nodal officer for enforcement of the model code of conduct said that the office was sending daily reports to the CEO on suspected cases of poll code violation on the basis of
media reports. The preliminary report on the alleged code violation by the minister was such a report in response to the CEO's direction following the complaint by the MLA, the sources said adding that
the Collector had not said anything to the effect that the minister's speech at the college on Friday last amounted to violation of the code.
Mr. Prakashan also complained that the minister's reported remarks against the Collector at a press meet here also amounted to violation of the code of conduct. The minister had urged the Collector to
voluntarily abstain from election duties in view of the local MP's allegation that the Collector was partisan on the controversy over the alleged inclusion of voters from neighbouring areas in the voters list for by-lection in the constituency.
