New Delhi, November 19
The Congress today put up a brave face over the Election Commission’s show-cause notice issued to party President Sonia Gandhi and Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit
Jogi for violation of the Model Code of Conduct while its legal brains got down to drafting a response to the EC missive.
The party denied that Ms. Sonia Gandhi had violated the model code but refused to say anything more on the plea that it wanted to submit its reply to the Election Commission before going public with the details. The party expects to submit its reply by Thursday or Friday as it is ascertaining facts from the Chhattisgarh government.
“We have not violated the Model Code of Conduct...We stand by it. We are in the process of collecting the details and will submit a formal reply,” party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said here today.
In the show-cause notice issued to the country’s oldest national party, the Election Commission has pointed out that Ms. Sonia Gandhi, Mr Ajit Jogi and his ministerial colleagues had used the state aircraft for electioneering. The Congress has been given a week to respond, failing which it faces derecognition.
Although there was no official word about its response, Congress leaders privately explained that Ms Gandhi had used the Chhattisgarh state airplane to fly from Chennai to Sriperumbudur on October 10 for a programme organised by the Union Government at which President A.P.J. Abdul was the chief guest.
“This was not a election-related programme, nor was it held in a state headed for poll,” explained a senior Congress leader, adding that no speeches were made on the occasion as it was a programme to unveil a memorial dedicated to the late Rajiv Gandhi. They also clarified that had the party president travelled to Chhattisgarh in the state aircraft, it could have been construed as a violation of the poll code.
But, as such, there did not appear to be any violation, they pointed out. As for Mr Jogi’s case, they said, the facts were being collected from the state government.
Congress leaders, who had been exulting over the BJP’s discomfiture over the Judeo
episode, were a subdued lot today.
