EC issues notice to former CM Harish Rawat for organising public meet sans permit

NAINITAL: The election commission (EC) has issued a notice to former chief minister Harish Rawat on Thursday after a BJP worker in Nainital district alleged that a public meeting was organised by him in Joelikote without prior permission on Wednesday.
Rawat, the Congress candidate from Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar constituency, had also organised a road show in Nainital and addressed people in a market for at least 40 minutes on the same day.
Vinod Kumar, assistant returning officer, Nainital district confirmed to TOI that Rawat has been issued a notice and has been asked to reply within two days. “The notice was issued after complaint by a local BJP leader Pushkar Jyoti.”
Meanwhile, Pushkar Jain, an aide of Rawat who is also named in the notice, said, “We had applied for permission to the nodal officer of Rudrapur at 10.30am on Wednesday. At 3 pm, we were informed that we should have sought permission from Nainital district nodal officer.”