BJP complains against Assembly Speaker with ECI

Hyderabad: The BJP on Tuesday lodged a complaint against Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Rao with the Election Commission of India (ECI) for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

In its complaint, BJP State general secretary G Premender Reddy stated that the Speaker campaigned for Chevella Congress candidate G Ranjith Reddy on April 20 in violation of the MCC. The office of the Speaker of the State Assembly was a constitutional post and was under obligation to maintain a neutral stance and decorum between parties. By campaigning for the Congress candidate, the Speaker had violated the MCC, he said.

As per Para-II of Chapter-IX of Parliamentary Traditions and Procedures Part-1, the moment a person becomes Speaker, he becomes completely detached from political activities and he does not belong to any political party, he pointed out, urging the ECI to take action against the Speaker and to restrain him from further campaigning.