Congress leader RC Chaudhary claimed that the BJP’s ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’, which is aimed at ensuring the implementation of the Centre’s welfarist schemes in rural India, counts as a breach of the Model Code of Conduct of the Election Commission, which is currently in force in poll-bound Rajasthan.
The Congress leader alleged that no prior permission was sought from the EC for taking out such a march and said it was nothing but a ploy by the BJP-led Centre to influence the upcoming polls in Rajasthan and elsewhere.
As part of ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’, which is likely to be launched after Diwali, specially customised vehicles or ‘raths’ will roll out to the length and breadth of the country, reach the targeted beneficiaries of central schemes and ensure that they are being implemented properly.
Chaudhary said, “A letter was issued by the Income Tax Department, Finance Ministry of the central government, on 18 October. The government officials in charge of these chariots will go inside every panchayat as part of the ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’.”
“The Model Code of Conduct is already in force in five states from 9 October. The Centre couldn’t bring much development in the nine years of its rule at the Centre. Today, through this yatra, it is trying to attract votes, in violation of the Model Code of Conduct,” he added.
“The Election Commission should ensure that the Model Code of Conduct is followed by all political parties in good faith… The Centre wants to influence voters through such yatras. We want the elections to be free and fair and, in order to ensure that this happens, the MCC should apply to such marches as well,” Chaudhary added.