New Delhi, April 2: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has concluded that Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh's reported remarks supporting the return of Narendra Modi as prime minister after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections violated the Model Code of Conduct. This came after the Aligarh District Magistrate (DM) submitted details and clips of Kalyan Singh's statement to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) last Friday.

Based on 'evidence' submitted by the Aligarh DM, the Uttar Pradesh CEO made its report and forwarded it to the ECI. The poll panel, after examining the report, concluded that Singh’s remarks disrupt the level-playing field, and hence, violate the Model Code of Conduct, The Indian Express reported. Singh on March 23 had said as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker he wanted Narendra Modi's return as prime minister.

“As a worker of BJP, I genuinely want BJP to win. We want that once again Narendra Modi should become the Prime Minister of India. It is important for nation and society that Narendra Modi should become Prime Minister again," Singh, who was appointed as the Governor of Rajasthan in 2014, had said. He reportedly made these remarks to placate some agitated BJP members who had gathered outside his house over ticket distribution.

A Governor is considered a neutral post and the person in office doesn’t side with any particular political party. The last time a state Governor was found violating the Model Code of Conduct was in the 1990s when then Himachal Pradesh Governor Gulsher Ahmed was slammed by the ECI for campaigning for his son Sayeed Ahmed in Madhya Pradesh. After the poll panel had expressed displeasure, Ahmed had stepped down.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 02, 2019 08:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).