Grand alliance seeks ban on 'Mann Ki Baat' till Bihar polls

The anti-BJP grand alliance today approached the Election Commission seeking suspension of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat' programme till Bihar polls are over, raising doubts he might use it to influence voters, but the poll panel indicated a "blanket ban" cannot be imposed.
A delegation of the three-party alliance comprising JD(U), RJD and Congress met the Election Commission with the plea to stop broadcast of the Prime Minister's monthly radio programme.
"Permitting the Prime Minister to organise the Mann Ki Baat programme would be giving a completely unfair advantage to BJP and will upset the level playing field, essential to uphold the neutrality and majesty of the electoral process," it said in its petition.

"Even otherwise, BJP and its Union government has been misusing government's machinery, instances of which have already been brought out to the notice of the Commission," it said.
Though the poll watch dog is yet to firm up its decision on the petition, EC sources said no "blanket ban" can be imposed on the programme and that it can take "cognizance" of any such demand only if its contents violate the model code.
"No blanket ban can be enforced on things like Cabinet meeting and Mann ki baat but the EC can take cognizance if the Cabinet decision or the content of programme is in violation of the Model Code of Conduct," a senior EC official said.

The petition said the programme was "essentially political" with Prime Minister giving out his thought on various political and governance issues.
The delegation comprising Congress' communications department chief Randeep Surjewala, spokesman Abhishek Singhvi, JD(U) general secretary K C Tyagi, its Rajya Sabha MP Pavan Verma and RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha said this telecast by a political party in power is not permissible when the Model Code of Conduct is in force.