Kamal Nath Goes To Top Court As Poll Body Removes Him As Star Campaigner

New Delhi: Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission’s decision to remove him as a “star campaigner” ahead of the by-elections in the state next week.

The powerful election body had said the 73-year-old leader’s star campaigner status was being revoked for “repeated violation of model code of conduct” and for “complete disregard” of warnings to him. Kamal Nath, being a leader of a political party, had repeatedly “breached ethical and dignified behaviour”, the commission said in its order.

If the former chief minister does campaign, the cost of his travel, stay and everything else will be from the candidate’s limited poll expenses. A “star campaigner’s” expenses go to the party account and can be unlimited.

Challenging the order, Kamal Nath told the court, “It is right of the party to nominate a person as a star campaigner and the Election Commission cannot interfere with the party decision. The decision is a breach of the fundamental right of expression and movement.”

Kamal Nath also said he never received any notice before his privileges were revoked.

The former chief minister had earlier been warned by the Election Commission after he used the word “item” for a woman BJP candidate, a former Congress leader among the 22 MLAs whose exit led to the collapse of his government in March.

Campaigning in Dabra, he had mocked BJP’s Imarti Devi saying the Congress candidate was a “simple person” unlike his rival, who was an “item”.

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