 "Elections, BJP")
Congress leader RC Chaudhary has alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s "Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra", designed to ensure the proper implementation of central welfare schemes in rural India, violates the model code of conduct (MCC) enforced in poll-bound Rajasthan. Chaudhary claimed that no prior permission was obtained from the Election Commission (EC) for this march, and he criticised it as an attempt by the BJP-led Centre to influence the upcoming elections in Rajasthan and other states.
As part of the "Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra", set to be launched post-Diwali, specially customised vehicles or "raths" will travel across the country to reach beneficiaries of central schemes, ensuring their proper implementation. The central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, plans to launch the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra to achieve full saturation of all welfare schemes within six months, aiming to expedite the implementation of these programmes.
Chaudhary stated, "A letter was issued by the Income Tax Department, Finance Ministry of the central government, on October 18. The government officials in charge of these chariots will go inside every panchayat as part of the 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra'."
"The model code of conduct is already in force in five states from October 9. The Centre couldn't bring much development in the nine years of its rule at the Centre. Today, through this yatra, it is trying to attract votes, in violation of the Model Code of Conduct," he added.
He emphasised the need for the Election Commission to enforce the MCC impartially and stated that a memorandum had been submitted to the state election committee chief, expressing their protest against the Centre's violation of the MCC.
The MCC is enforced from the date of notification of the election, on October 9. The Rajasthan state Assembly elections, which will take place on November 25 and votes will be counted on December 3.
(With agency inputs)
