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Elections 2005 : Lalu faces EC action |
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The Election Commission has taken action against Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal President Lalu Prasad Yadav for allegedly distributing currency notes of rupees one hundred each to voters when the election process is on in Bihar to elect a new Assembly. On the directive of the Commission, a First Information Report (FIR) under the section dealing with bribery relating to the conduct of elections has been lodged against Lalu Yadav. The Commission also issued a show cause notice to the RJD on why the party should not be derecognised under the provisions of the Election Symbols Order for violating the Model Code of Conduct.
The decision was taken by the full three-member Commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner T.S. Krishnamurthi after watching the electronic and print media versions showing Lalu Prasad Yadav distributing currency notes on December 18. The matter also came up in Parliament last week with the opposition demanding resignation of the Railway Minister and a response from the Prime Minister to his Minister’s conduct violating the Model Code of Conduct.
The Election Commission directed the Railway Board Chairman not to provide special trains or divert any train to Patna for the rally of the RJD scheduled to be held on December 23. Faced with the EC action, Lalu Prasad Yadav cancelled the rally.
An advisor to the Election Commission K.J. Rao visited the state later to probe violations of the Model Code of Conduct. Following the visit, more than 20 cases have been filed against activists of the RJD for putting up illegal hoardings and banners in Patna and Vaishali districts. K.J. Rao also pulled up several officials of the State Government for not implementing the rules in matters relating to putting up hoardings in public and prohibited places such as Government buildings.
The officers pulled up included the District Magistrates of Patna and Vaishali districts, police officers and those in charge of railway stations.
In response to the notice issued by the Election Commission, Lalu Prasad Yadav met the Chief Election Commissioner on December 24 to give his side of the story. He denied that he or his party had violated the Model Code of Conduct by distributing currency notes to his ‘partymen’ after the announcement of the election schedule for Bihar. Talking to reporters later, Lalu Yadav said he had explained to the CEC what he called the truth. He blamed the opposition National Democratic Alliance for “misleading” the Commission.
On the cancellation of the RJD rally slated for December 23 in Patna, he said “people are with me and, like Mao’s Great March, were on their way to Patna from different parts of the state to attend it. But I was against embarrassing anyone, so we decided to cancel the rally.”
Speaking in Patna, Yadav rejected outright the demand for his resignation. He said the NDA led by the “communal” BJP is maligning him and his party. “Why should I resign when I have committed no crime. The electorate of Bihar will ensure that RJD storms back to power”, he said addressing his party’s national executive.
The scant disregard by politicians in Bihar for established political norms has also been shown up by an incident involving Janata Dal (United) President and former Defence Minister George Fernandes allegedly giving money to a poor woman in Muzaffarpur constituency of the state. The district administration of Muzaffarpur has lodged an FIR against Fernandes and his supporters following a complaint that they paid money to 40 year old Sunita Devi, who fed up with poverty, had attempted suicide earlier. She jumped into a river from a bridge in Muzaffarpur town with her two young children, but they were rescued by fishermen. The Election Commission has taken cognizance of the incident.
New political front in Bihar
In a related development, an eight-party front has been set up in Bihar to provide a platform for forces which want to remain away from both the ruling RJD-Congress alliance and the NDA in the Assembly elections. The front includes the Samajwadi Party of Mulayam Singh Yadav and CPI(ML). The formation of the front was announced in Patna by the CPI(ML) central committee member Krishna Deo Yadav. Replying to a question by reporters, leaders of the front said it may include Steel Minister Rambilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party and JDU provided they snap their ties with the Congress and the BJP respectively.
UP byelection outcome : Setback for BSP
In the Lok Sabha byelections held last week, the Samajwadi Party has won both the Mainpuri and Akbarpur seats. The Akbarpur seat was held earlier by former Chief Minister Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party. The seat had remained with the BSP since 1996 and had come to be seen as a BSP stronghold. Observers say that the Samajwadi Party victory is also a setback for both the major national parties, the Congress and the BJP.
The byelection results have created a political breeze in the state which may enhance the prospects of a BJP-SP axis. A day before polling on December 19, former Prime Minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee hinted at the possibility of a “Grand Alliance” between the BJP and SP while praising Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. He said the BJP and the SP could get together in the “national interest.” There appears to be a possibility of the two parties moving closer, especially with the SP having been kept out of the UPA coalition at the Centre.
Significantly, a day after Vajpayee’s statement, SP General Secretary Amar Singh indicated that something of the kind hinted at by the former Prime Minister was possible. “We would be willing to work with anybody as long as it is in the national interest”, said Amar Singh.
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