Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan’s Office has rebutted the allegation raised by the Congress leaders that the Chief Minister had breached the model code of conduct for elections by making announcements about projects.
Chief Electoral Officer Nalini Netto had earlier forwarded the complaint about Mr. Achuthanandan’s speech at Koratty to the Chief Minister’s office for his explanation.
Chief Minister’s Office is understood to have responded noting that the Chief Minister had announced no new projects while inaugurating the IT Park at Koratty on Saturday. He had only stated what had been announced in the Governor’s address to the Assembly. Creation of job opportunities in the IT sector was something announced by the LDF back in 2006 itself and programmes for that was under implementation.
In the complaint to the Election Commission, Youth Congress State secretary V. T. Balaram and Adat Grama Panchayat President Anil Akkara had alleged that Mr. Achuthanandan had tried to influence voters in Kannur constituency by promising two lakh jobs in the IT sector in two years and announcing the starting of work on the IT Parks at Eramath in Kannur district and Cheemeni in Kasaragod district.
They maintained that the Chief Minister was reading a written speech and his announcement could not be construed a slip of the tongue.
“Let the Commission examine the matter and take the appropriate decision,” the Chief Minister said when reporters drew his attention to the complaint at Kasaragod.
The model code of conduct came into effect with the announcement of the by-elections to the Kannur, Ernakulam and Alappuzha Assembly constituencies last week.
