Congress urges Election Commission to file case against Shivraj Singh Chouhan for poll code breach

BHOPAL: Taking exception to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's announcement of interest-free loans to farmers in the run-up to civic polls, Madhya Pradesh Congress today urged the election commission to register a poll code violation case against him.

Alleging that Chouhan has "violated" the code of conduct in force for the civic polls due later this month by announcing interest-free loans, the Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Ajay Singh has requested the state election commission to take suo motu notice of the same.

"The chief minister is misusing his post. First, Chouhan got the election extended on the excuse of his foreign tour and today he announced interest-free loans to farmers to woo the voters in the civic bodies elections slated to be held later this month," he said in a statement.

Ajay further said that if the election commission did not register a case against Chouhan, he would lodge a complaint in this regard with the poll watchdog on Monday.

Chouhan today announced "zero percent rate of interest" on loans given to farmers since April 1 this year.

The polls will be held in two phases on June 28 and June 30 in 49 municipal bodies in 16 districts, and counting will take place on July 2 and July 4, respectively.