The Election Commission on Friday revoked the "star campaigner" status of Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath for repeated violations of the model code while campaigning for the bypolls in 28 assembly constituencies in the state.
In an order issued on Friday, the Commission said, "...for repeated violation of Model Code of Conduct and for completely disregarding the advisory issued to him, the Commission hereby revokes the status of leader of political party (Star Campaigner) of Kamal Nath, Ex-Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh, with immediate effect for the current Bye-elections of Legislative Assembly of Madhya Pradesh."
It said no permission will be granted by authorities to Kamal Nath as a star campaigner.
"However, if any campaign is done by Kamal Nath from now onwards, the entire expenditure related to travel, stay and visit will be completely borne by the candidate in whose constituency he carries out campaigning," he said.
Kamal Nath has been in the eye of the storm for some of his remarks during the bypoll campaign. Recently, the EC had served a notice to Kamal Nath, asking him to explain the alleged ‘item’ jibe on minister Imarti Devi at a public rally in Dabra of Gwalior on October 21. In response to the notice, he had called the allegations of the BJP against him as ‘political canard and falsehood', and had refused to apologise.
Kamal Nath had also shot off a long letter to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, saying he has always shown respect to women. The letter came in response to Chouhan’s missive to Congress president Sonia Gandhi seeking action against the former CM.
As the polling date neared—November 3—the face-off between Nath and Chouhan has turned personal, with both taking potshots at each other over the alleged involvement in scams.
