Revocation Of Kamal Nath's Star Campaigner Status: Congress To Move SC

The Congress on Friday said it will move the Supreme Court against the Election Commission's decision to revoke the `star campaigner' status of its senior leader Kamal Nath ahead of November 3 bypolls in Madhya Pradesh.

Congress' Rajya Sabha member and senior lawyer Vivek Tankha told reporters that a petition will be filed in the Apex Court as soon as possible.

The EC on Friday revoked the star campaigner status of MP Congress chief and former chief minister Kamal Nath for repeated violations of the model code while campaigning for the bypolls to 28 Assembly constituencies in the state.

While a political party pays for the expenditure of a star campaigner, an individual candidate pays for the expenditure of other campaigners.

The EC said it has carefully considered the matter and has observed with "displeasure that Kamal Nath despite being a leader of a political party is repeatedly violating the provisions of Model Code of Conduct and breaching the ethical and dignified behaviour".

The Commission referred to his remarks against Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

 Last week, the EC had asked Nath not to use words like "item" in campaigning. He had used the jibe to hit out at state minister and BJP candidate Imarti Devi at a rally.