NEW DELHI: India’s election commission on Friday issued a show cause notice to ruling Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav for allegedly threatening school teachers appointed on contract by the Uttar Pradesh government to either vote for his party in the Lok Sabha polls or risk losing permanent status.

Holding that Yadav has prima facie violated the code of conduct, the commission has given him time till Sunday evening to send his reply, failing which it will take action.

On April 3, addressing an election rally in Bulandshahr in UP, Yadav had allegedly threatened government primary school teachers to vote for SP or else they will not be made permanent.

“As far as teachers are concerned, we have done it (made them permanent)...we have done it, now give your vote.

If you do not vote, we’ll withdraw it,” the EC quoted Yadav as saying.

Issuing him the notice, the commission reminded him of the provision in the code which bars the party in power, whether at the centre or in a state, to use its official position for the purposes of its election campaign.