The Election Commission on Monday gave one week’s more time to the BJP and the Congress to submit their responses on allegations of violation of model code of conduct by their star campaigners during the campaigning for Jharkhand and Maharashtra polls and by-elections in other states.
The poll panel on Saturday wrote to BJP president J P Nadda and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge seeking their comments over the matter by 1 pm on Monday.
Advertisement
“The EC received emails from the BJP and Congress in response to the letters issued to the presidents of both the parties on Saturday over alleged violations of MCC by start campaigners of the parties. Both the parties sought a week’s time to submit their response,” sources told The Statesman.
They added that the poll panel has given one-week time to both the parties to submit their response.
In a separate letter issued to Nadda and Kharge, the EC on Saturday recalled its 22nd May advisory directing the BJP, Congress and their star campaigners to refrain from making any statement which is prohibited in Clause (1) of general conduct of MCC ( no party or candidate shall include in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic).
In its letter addressed to BJP chief, the ECI informed that it received two complaints from Congress alleging violation of provisions of MCC by star campaigners of the party during campaigning in the ongoing Assembly elections in Jharkhand and Maharashtra, and bypolls in other states.
In one of the complaints, the Congress alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he made a series of false, malicious, and slanderous statements targeting the grand old party and its allies during election rallies in Maharashtra. In the other complaint, the Congress alleged Union Home Minister Amit Shah that he made a slew of false, divisive, malicious, and slanderous statements against it and its allies at an election rally in Jharkhand.
In its letter addressed to the Congress president, the ECI said it received a complaint from the BJP alleging violation of MCC by Congress star campaigner and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi during an election rally in Maharashtra.
The BJP in its complaint alleged Gandhi of constantly making false, unsubstantiated, unverified and baseless allegations against the BJP.
“His nefarious attempt to create a rift between the citizens of lndia on the basis of place, caste and religion is solely aimed to achieve the electoral gains in the ongoing assembly elections in Maharashtra,” read the complaint filed by the saffron party.
The polling for the final phase in 38 Assembly constituencies in Jharkhand and single phase polls in Maharashtra will take place on 20th November. The counting of votes would take place on 23rd November.
