Model Code of Conduct for panchayat polls in AP comes into effect from January 9

Vijayawada: The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into force in rural areas all over the state with effect from January 9 to February. 17

State Election Commissioner (SEC) Dr N. Ramesh Kumar has written a letter to the Chief Secretary on Saturday giving clarification on the implementation of the MCC.

Accordingly, as the SEC announced the schedule for conduct of the said polls on January 8, and would be issuing a notification for the first phase of of election on January 23, the MCC had come into force from Saturday onwards in compliance with the stipulation made by the Supreme Court in a judgment issued earlier in a case.

Referring to the guidelines of the MCC, the SEC said as the ordinary polls were notified to rural local bodies in the entire state, the MCC would be applicable to the rural areas only and not applicable to the urban areas in the state.

He clarified that there would be no objection to organise programmes in urban areas to extend benefits to the beneficiaries strictly belonged to the urban areas only and cautioned that no programme to be organised in the urban areas to benefit the people belonging to the rural areas as it would amount to clear violation of the MCC as such programme might influence the voter preference.