The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday asked the government to scrap its proposed ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’ in five states going into the polls next month. This came after the Central government planned to rope in bureaucrats as 'Rath Prabharis' in its mega outreach programme on schemes and initiatives across the country.

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In a letter written to Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, the EC asked the government to suspend its outreach programme in five poll-bound states, owing to the enforcement of the model code of conduct.

“The Commission has announced the schedule for General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan & Telangana, 2023 and Bye-election in 43-Tapi (ST) Assembly Constituency of Nagaland on 9th October, 2023. The provisions of the Model Code of Conduct for the guidance of political parties and candidates have come into force from the date of announcement tentatively till 5th December, 2023. In view of the foregoing, Commission has directed that the aforesaid activities should not be taken in the constituencies where Model Code of Conduct is in force up till 5th December 2023,” the top poll body said on proposed ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’.

However, the government had said the yatra will not take place in poll-bound states. "There is no plan to start the 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra' in election-bound states where the model code of conduct is in place. In poll-bound states the yatra will start when the model code of conduct is lifted," news agency PTI reported Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra as saying.

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The EC on October 9 announced the poll schedule for five states. Political parties across the poll-bound states have started a fervid campaign. With the announcement of the dates, the model code of conduct also came into force.