Telangana Polls: Karnataka Govt Ads Do Not Violate Code Of Conduct, Says Deputy CM Shivakumar

The Election Commission of India issued a directive concerning the advertisements by the Karnataka government in poll-bound Telangana during the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) period on Monday.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday stated that the advertisements released by the state government in Telangana do not violate the Election Commission's Model Code of Conduct, as they do not actively seek votes. He said the advertisements were purely about the schemes of the Government of Karnataka. 

Addressing reporters at his residence, DK Shivakumar said, "The ads only highlight the achievements of the Karnataka government and do not solicit votes for any political party and hence they don’t violate any Model Code of Conduct."

"The advertisements are purely about the schemes of the Government of Karnataka. They neither solicit votes for Congress nor for any particular individual. How can they violate any Model Code of Conduct?” he asked, as per IANS.

Further, the Congress leader said that other parties have launched a misinformation campaign against the rollout of the welfare scheme by the Karnataka government. 

He explained, some of the Karnataka government's advertisements occasionally appear in publications from other states. It would only be a violation of the Model Code of Conduct if we actively sought votes in favor of Congress. He added that a response to the Election Commission's notice will be submitted.

Regarding appointments to Boards and Corporations, he mentioned that two to three rounds of consultations have concluded, and the final list will be forwarded to the top party leaders in Delhi after the meeting.

On Monday, Election Commission of India issued a directive concerning the advertisements by the Karnataka Government in poll-bound Telangana during the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) period. It found that Karnataka Government ads publicising achievements are in violation of instructions for obtaining prior approval.

The directive, prompted by representations from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bharat Rashtra Samithi, sought the Karnataka government's response in the matter by 28th November 2023, 5:00 pm. The EC further directed to stop any such advertisements in Telangana immediately.