UP: Despite poll code, 10 govt websites yet to remove pics of CM, ministers

Two days after the poll code came into force, at least 10 government departments are yet to remove pictures of chief minister Yogi Adityanath and his Cabinet colleagues from their websites.

The website of the chief minister’s office still displays pictures of Yogi Adityanath and his deputies Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma.As per the election code of conduct, departments have to take down pictures of the Prime Minister, chief minister, ministers of centres as well as state. However, even as the state machinery is gradually removing hoarding, banners carrying Prime Minister, chief minister and other ministers’ pictures, some departments are yet to act in this regard.

Uttar Pradesh has 78 departmental websites of which around 10 still have pictures of the CM and ministers. The public works department (PWD) website’s home page displays five pictures, including the chief minister; deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, minister of state Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary and two other government officials.

The department of cooperation’s website is also yet to remove pictures of the chief minister, Cabinet minister Mukut Bihari Verma and minister of state Upendra Tiwari. Similarly, revenue, administrative reforms, housing and urban planning departments’ websites also have the CM’s picture on their homepage.

Other departments, yet to comply with the poll code are minor irrigation that has a picture of Cabinet minister SP Singh Baghel besides the CM. The urban development department is also yet to pull down pictures of the CM, Cabinet minister Suresh Khanna and minister of state Girish Kumar Yadav. Parliamentary affairs ministry still has CM and Khanna’s pictures on its homepage.

State’s Panchayati Raj and Khadi department websites have Cabinet ministers Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary and Satyadev Pachauri’s pictures respectively, along with that of the CM.

Principal secretary to the chief minister Avneesh Awasthi said that the pictures of the CM and his ministers have to be removed from the websites following the poll code.

Meanwhile, some departments were quick to remove pictures of the chief minister and concerned ministers. The home page of the Uttar Pradesh government also has four thumbnails for pictures of the governor, chief minister and his two deputies. Adhering to the poll code, the government has taken down pictures of the CM and his deputies.

The Election Commission of India, in a communication to chief secretaries of states, had asked to ensure that photographs of “political functionaries” on official websites are removed or hidden immediately. “The photographs of the CM, ministers and other political functionaries will have to be removed from the government department websites till May 27,” said a government official. When contacted, officers of the chief electoral official office, UP, refused to comment on this issue.