The Election Commission has issued notice to Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and Union Minister of State for Company Affairs Prem Chand Gupta, in connection with the complaint for alleged violation of the model code of conduct, according to Chief Election Commissioner B B Tandon.
Tandon, who reviewed the poll preparations under Darbhanga disvision, told reporters that the EC had served the notices on the two RJD leaders on Thursday. "Both Prasad and Gupta have been asked to submit their explanations by September 19", he said.
The National Democratic Alliance had complained to the EC that Lalu Prasad had violated the model code of conduct by visiting the EC's headquarters in New Delhi recently on an official vehicle, seeking rescheduling of the poll dates. Gupta had accompanied Prasad during the visit.
To a question, Tandon said the EC was going through the explanation received from Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Thursday, in connection with his recent visit to Motipur in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district where Pawar had reportedly announced reopening of the closed sugarmills after the elections.
