Poll panel lets off Mulayam with a warning

Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh.

The Election Commission on Friday let off Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh with a warning to be careful about his utterances during the election campaign.

Earlier this week, the EC served notice on Mr. Singh, asking why action should not taken against him for telling schoolteachers appointed on contract in Uttar Pradesh to either vote for his party or risk losing permanent appointment. The EC said that from evidence, it was convinced that his speech at the meeting in Bulandshahr on April 3 violated the model code of conduct. “The commission hereby warns him to be careful in future and expects that he shall not make any statement during campaigning which may constitute a violation of the model code,” its order said.