YSR Congress party general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy is an important pillar of the party and on any important political issue, he is the one who immediately makes a statement or addresses a press conference to represent the party stand.
At the same time, Sajjala is also an advisor to the Andhra Pradesh government on public affairs, enjoying the cabinet minister rank with the perks and salaries being drawn from the state government exchequer. As such, he is a government employee.
Now that the model code of conduct for the elections is in force, the state government employees are not supposed to make any political statements, speak in favour of the ruling party and attack the opposition parties.
So, the Election Commission of India has issued an order prohibiting Sajjala from making any political statements or speaking on behalf of the ruling party in Andhra Pradesh, as he has been appointed through an executive order and getting salaries from the consolidated fund of state government.
“The MCC, which is applicable to all the government employees and ministers, is applicable even to the government advisors. As such, all the 40-odd government advisors should refrain from making any political statements in violation of the model code of conduct,” the EC said in its latest order.
The EC said it had come to its notice that the advisors were undertaking political campaign, which is not their designated duty, and attacking the opposition parties.
“They come under the purview of MCC and they violate the same, stringent action would be taken against them,” the EC asserted.