EC puts curbs on Yogi, Mayawati campaign

New Delhi:  The Election Commission (EC) on Monday barred BSP leader Mayawati and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections for 48 and 72 hours respectively.

While the action against Mayawati came for violating the model code of conduct (MCC) when she asked Muslims at a rally in Saharanpur to vote in a consolidated manner in favour of the SP-BSP-RLD combine, Adityanath was barred over his "Ali and Bajrang Bali" comment made in Meerut.

"The Commission, under Article 324 of the Constitution and other powers enabling in this behalf, bars him from holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, road shows and interviews, public utterances in media (electronic, print, social media) in connection with ongoing elections for 72 hours from 6 a.m. on April 16 (Tuesday)," the EC order on Adityanath said.

In a separate order, the poll panel censured Mayawati and "strongly condemned the impugned statements made by her".

It said she would also be barred from holding any public meetings, processions, rallies, road shows and interviews, public utterance in media related to elections for 48 hours.

"The Commission observes that being a senior leader, Mayawati should have desisted herself in making statements that have the undertone and propensity to polarise the elections, which is not confined to the constituency only where the statement is made, but to the other parts as well, due to fast dissemination of information in the digital age," the order said.

The Election Commission had on April 11 issued notices to both Mayawati and Adityanath for violating the model code of conduct.

While the BSP leader had urged the Muslim community to vote only for SP-BSP-RLD alliance candidates, the Chief Minister had said that if the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party had faith in Ali, "we have faith in 'Bajrangbali'".