JD(U) asks EC to review decision to stop Nitish Kumar's 'Jan Samwad' programme

NEW DELHI: JD(U) today appealed to the Election Commission to review its decision to stop Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's ' Jan Samwad' programme, saying it was a government exercise like the Centre's Yoga Day events which, it said, were allowed to be held.

Party MPs K C Tyagi and Pavan Varma met Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi in this regard.

"We said it is strictly a government initiative and not party work. No programme or policy is announced there and it is aimed at simply eliciting people's opinion for the preparation of a Vision Document, 2025 for the state," they told reporters after meeting the CEC.

The 'Jan Samwad' programme has been stopped by the Commission as the election watchdog found it in breach of the Model Code of Conduct enforced in the state due to the Legislative Council elections scheduled for early July.

The JD(U) leaders said the Commission had allowed the yoga day events of the Centre with an advisory that it should not be used for political ends and the state government was also ready to give such a commitment if the EC allows the Nitsh government to continue with its public interaction exercise.