BJP demands action against Rawat for violating model code

The Uttarakhand BJP today approached the Election Commission alleging that Chief Minister Harish Rawat had disposed files in violation of model code of conduct and demanded scrapping of all his decisions.

BJP state chief Ajay Bhatt alleged that Rawat distributed a large number of mining leases, liquor and bar licences among his favourites when he "disposed" of a stack of files at his office here yesterday. The EC should act immediately in the matter as it was gross violation of the model code of conduct, he said.

The BJP have also approached the election commission with this complaint. "This is open violation of the model code of conduct on part of the Chief Minister. How can he distribute mining leases, liquor and bar licences among his favourites as a quid pro quo for obligations taken from them in the past.

"The election commission should take suo motu cognisance of it and revoke all the decisions taken by the Chief Minister yesterday," Bhatt told reporters here.

Rawat spent quite a few hours in his office here yesterday and it was alleged that he disposed of a number of files. Bhatt also charged Rawat with paying a whopping "Rs one lakh crore" to poll strategist Prashant Kishore for shoring up the Congress' chances in the state Assembly elections.

The BJP state president also alleged that an official of Uttarakhand roadways had allowed 100 vehicles of Kishore's team to roam around constituencies without frisking them. Alleging that 19 murder convicts serving life terms in the state jails were freed on parole during election time to terrorise voters at the behest of the state government, the BJP leader said Rawat left no stone unturned to influence assembly poll verdict in the state.

Claiming that Rawat's calculations were in for a jolt, Bhatt said the BJP was all set to form the next government in the state with a clear majority winning between 44 to 50 seats out of the total 70.

When asked who would be the chief minister if BJP came to power, Bhatt said there is never fight in the party for the top office. "Whoever is elected by the legislature party and approved by the party's Parliamentary Board will be accepted as the Chief Minister," he said.