Reddy, not ready for trouble?

Tourism minister stays away from luxury train launch due to EC code

Tourism minister stays away from luxury train launch due to EC code

Tourism Minister G Janardhan Reddy was forced to skip the launch ceremony of Southern Splendour, a luxury train, on Monday, thanks to the BBMP polls.

Reddy, who was supposed to flag off the train, reportedly did not attend the ceremony to ward trouble from the state election commission.

This is because a new EC code of conduct, restricts participation of the ruling party ministers and chairmen nominated from party to boards and corporations in any new launches or announcement of new initiatives.
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Southern Splendour is an initiative of the state tourism department.

"The minister changed his plans at the last moment," said a top official of the ministry requesting anonymity.

However his colleague, KSTDC (Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation) Chairman Siraj Sheikh, has come under the State Election Commission (SEC) scanner for flagging off the train.

Reddy, who had recently announced the ceremony, was supposed to flag off the train from Yeshwantpur on Monday, gave a slip at the last moment. Instead, he allegedly forced the KSTDC chairman to attend the ceremony.u00a0

"Till last moment, we assumed that the minister will be at the flagging-off ceremony, but later learnt that he skipped fearing if the launch would clash with the election code," added the ministry official.

A violation?

"The minister was supposed to be here but cancelled because of his engagements," said Vinay Luthra, MD KSTDC.

This forced Reddy's colleague, the chairman of KSTDC, former MLA, Siraj Sheikh take the call.
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Sheikh, being a BJP man flagged off the train, despite the EC code. Sheikh, however, denied any violation. "Our officials had consulted the concerned officials," Siraj Sheikh told MiD DAY.
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"They said that there would be no violation of code of conduct if I don't make any announcements. Hence, I don't think it was a violation."

EC Demands Report

State Election commission officials took note of KSTDC Chairman Siraj Sheikh's presence at the launch.u00a0 D K Ravindranath, secretary to the state election commissioner, said, "We will call for a report on aspects like the chairman's presence, and decide on how to proceed."