Madhya Pradesh Bye-Elections 2020: Kamal Nath's Star Campaigner Status Revoked by Election Commission
New Delhi, October 30: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has revoked star campaigner status of former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath. The ECI cited repeated violation of the Model Code of Conduct by Kamal Nath for the action against him. Nath is leading the Congress campaign in Madhya Pradesh where crucial bye-elections are being held on 28 seats. Polling will be held on November 3, while results will be declared on November 10. Madhya Pradesh Assembly Bye-Elections 2020: Why Bypolls on 28 Seats Matter For Shivraj Singh Chouhan-Led BJP And Kamal Nath's Congress.
"If any campaign is done by Kamal Nath from now onwards, the entire expenditure will be borne by the candidate in whose constituency campaign is being undertaken," the poll panel had said. Recently, the ECI said Nath had violated its advisory related to campaigning by using the word "item" against a woman BJP candidate. Nath had used the "item" remark against BJP candidate Imarti Devi during a poll rally. Madhya Pradesh Bypolls 2020: Imarti Devi Gets Notice From EC for Remarks Against Unnamed Political Rival.
The state BJP had lodged a complaint after which the ECI served a notice to Nath. In its order, the poll panel said, "Kamal Nath used the word item for a lady and that this constitutes a violation of advisory issued by the poll panel relating to the model code." The poll panel advised him not to use such words in public during the period of the Model Code of Conduct.
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Madhya Pradesh Bye-Elections 2020: Background
In March this year, the Kamal Nath government fell barely 15 months after it had come to power in the state courtesy Jyotiraditya Scindia. Amid tussle with then CM Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia walked away from Congress making 22 MLAs resign from their seats. Three more Congress MLAs defected and the death of three sitting MLAs are necessitating the bypolls.
