Monday, February 21 2005 10:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: FIRs were yesterday (Feb 20, 2005) lodged against Bihar Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate from Siwan Assembly seat Awadh Bihari Chaudhary, his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) rivals from the same constituency and RJD nominee from Muzaffarpur town for violation of Model Code of Conduct, official sources said.

FIRs were lodged against Chaudhary, BJP and LJP candidates from Siwan Assembly seat Vyas Deo Prasad and Asgar Ali respectively with the town police station for pasting election posters in violation of Bihar State (Prevention) Defacement of Property Act, 1985, an official release said.

The cases were registered on the recommendations of Assistant Returning Officer of Siwan Mukul Kumar, it added.

The Arms Licenses of 12 candidates from different Assembly constituencies in Siwan district were also cancelled following complaint of they intimidating voters through their weapons, the release said.

The release, however, did not mention names of any candidates.

In Muzaffarpur district, Election Commission's Special Advisor K J Rao detected display of cut outs of RJD nominee Amarnath Pandey, former RJD MLA from same seat and now an Independent candidate Vijendra Chaudhary and others in different parts of the district and ordered registration of cases against them, official sources said.

Separate FIRs were lodged against Pandey, Chaudhary, BJP candidate Suresh Sharma and five others with the Town police station for code violation, they said.

FIRs have also been lodged against three Uttar Pradesh Samajwadi Party (SP) Ministers, including Azam Khan, Om Prakash Singh and Ramashray Vishkarma, in Patna yesterday for violation of Model Code of Conduct, police said.

The FIR had been lodged with Gandhi Maidan police station against the three on various charges under Representation of Peoples Act, Senior Superintendent of Police Nayyer Hussnain Khan said.

They had been found guilty of "illegally" using the cars permitted by the district administration for candidates besides moving around with security guards without informing the district administration, the SSP said.

The three Ministers of Mulayam Singh Yadav Government were in Patna to seek votes for party candidates in the Bihar Assembly polls.