Government billboards to be Modi-less in poll bound states

New Delhi: Election Commission today directed the Central Government to remove photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from hoardings of the Government ads in all poll-bound states as they were not permissible under Model Code of Conduct (MCC). In a letter to the Cabinet Secretary, the Commission asked him to ensure compliance of instructions regarding display of Hoardings and Photographs of Politicians/political parties in Govt ads by all concerned, sources said. Election Commission had received complaints from Opposition parties regarding display of the Prime Minister's photo on hoardings and certificates in the poll-bound states, sources said.

Amid the Opposition's objection to the hoardings and advertisements carrying the Prime Minister's photo, the Election Commission on January 10 had ordered removal of photos of all 'living political functionaries' from such hoardings in five poll-bound states. It, however, said hoardings and posters giving information to the public about the Government welfare scheme were permitted. The Congress on January 9 had wrote to the Election Commission, demanding removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s posters on LPG scheme for the poor installed at various petrol pumps in the election bound states.

In its letter to the Election Commission, the Congress had alleged that the PM’s posters at petrol pumps in the election bound states of Punjab, UP, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand violated the model code of conduct, which has come into force following the announcement of the polls by the EC on January 4. (UNI)