Poll code violation: EC issues notice to Pawar

The Election Commission on Monday issued a notice to Union Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar for alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct for the October 13 assembly elections in Maharshtra.

In the letter, the EC has said that it had received a compliant that the minister had violated the Model Code of Conduct by publishing an advertisement in a Marathi daily with a slogan in Marathi saying "This Kharif season rains didn't help you, but we will: To farmer friends from Union agriculture ministry".

The EC noted that such an adviretisement published at the time of the assembly elections was a 'prima facie motivated to influence the voters of the state.'

The state election commission has  directed Pawar to reply to the notice by October 6.