After Naidu holds review meet, EC asks him to explain code violation
TDP president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday held meetings with officials of the irrigation department and the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) to review the progress of work in the Polavaram irrigation project.
The Telugu Desam on Friday took serious exception to the Election Commission seeking an explanation from the Andhra Pradesh government for holding official meetings to review the progress of various developmental work in alleged violation of the model code of conduct.
TDP president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday held meetings with officials of the irrigation department and also the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) to review the progress of work in the Polavaram irrigation project and construction of capital Amaravati respectively.
Following a complaint from the YSR Congress party that Naidu had blatantly violated the model of conduct, chief electoral officer Gopala Krishna Dwivedi called for an explanation from chief secretary L V Subrahmanyam as to how the chief minister could conduct review meetings when the poll code was in force.
The CEO sent portions of the model code to the government which clearly stated that the chief minister or his cabinet colleagues were not expected to conduct any meetings, except briefings by officials on emergency issues. Even with regard to security related issues, they cannot hold official meetings without prior approval from the EC.
The chief minister or other ministers cannot hold video-conferencing with officials even in situations like natural calamities without prior permission from the EC. In such a situation, too, they should hold meetings with only collectors and top officials in-charge of relief operations and in the presence of a representative of the EC without seeking any publicity in the media.
“We have called for an explanation from the state government. Further action will be taken depending on the response,” Dwivedi told reporters in Amaravati. Soon after the EC directions, Naidu cancelled his proposed review meeting with top police officials on the law and order situation in the state.
TDP spokesperson Y Babu Rajendra Prasad wondered why the EC was stopping the chief minister from conducting review meetings. “Naidu is not a caretaker CM. He is a full-fledged CM till the formation of the next government. If the chief minister cannot review the progress of work on the Polavaram project to ensure water supply to farmers by the coming season, who else will do it?” he asked.
TDP minister Nakka Ananda Bab also found fault with the EC for questioning Naidu on the official meetings. “What is wrong in holding meetings on people’s issues? Moreover, the polling for assembly elections was over on April 11 and there is no scope for gaining any political mileage through these meetings,” he pointed out.
YSR Congress party MLA Buggana Rajendra Prasad, however, said Naidu had no power to conduct any reviews when the model code of conduct was in force. “The code will be in force till the declaration of results. Naidu is just a caretaker CM. He can do review meetings only under emergency situations,” he clarified.
