Election Commission censures UP minister Gayatri Prajapati for poll code violation

New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) said on Monday that it has censured Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati of the Samajwadi Party (SP), for violation of the model code of conduct under a rule which calls for avoiding “corrupt practices” and “bribing of voters”.

EC had earlier sent a notice to the minister on 20 January, asking him to explain why action should not be taken against him with regard to an FIR (first information report) filed by Fatehpur police in Uttar Pradesh stating it had seized a consignment of 4,452 sarees from a vehicle which bore Prajapati’s name as the receiver of the goods. The driver of the vehicle too had confessed that the sarees were to be delivered to Prajapati for distribution among voters in Amethi.

“The commission has carefully examined the FIR and connected documents/records available (and) placed before it, and having done so, has held that your contentions cannot be accepted and so has found your reply unsatisfactory and unconvincing,” the EC said in its communication to Prajapati dated 2 February, released on Monday.

The EC has further warned Prajapati “to be more careful” in his conduct during election time, failing which “more stringent action will be taken” against him.