The Election Commission of India has imposed a 48-hour ban on former Chief Minister of Telangana and BRS Party supremo K. Chandra Sekhar Rao starting at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Acting firmly on a complaint filed by G. Niranjan, vice president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, in connection with unsavory remarks made by KCR during his press meet held on April 5th in Sircilla on the Congress party and its leaders, the apex poll body has asked the Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana to submit a detailed report to it over this matter.
Nearly a month after having examined the findings in the report, the ECI came to the conclusion today that KCR has violated certain provisions in the model code of conduct by making objectionable and unwarranted comments on his opponents. The ECI maintains that these comments are unacceptable and need to be condemned immediately. It has reprimanded the BRS president and immediately debarred him from participating in any election-related activity for the next 48 hours.
Through an official statement issued this evening, the ECI said it had exercised all its powers under Article 324 of the Indian Constitution and imposed a 48-hour ban on KCR from holding any public meetings, processions, rallies, shows, interviews, or public utterances in any media with immediate effect from 8 p.m. on May 1st.
During his press conference on April 5th, KCR called out names in vernacular language against the Congress party and its leaders and termed their rule as inefficient and despotic.
He is currently on a 17-day election tour ahead of the parliamentary elections on May 13th in the state. He was supposed to tour 40 towns and canvass for his party during this campaign. The ban imposed by the ECI will be a big setback for KCR and his party.