Election Commission notice to BJP, Congress over poll code violation complaints

In separate letters addressed to BJP President JP Nadda and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, the Election Commission has sought their responses to the complaints made by the rival party. 

In Short

• Poll body's notice sent to BJP chief JP Nadda, Congress's Mallikarjun Kharge
• BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of making false statements about Constitution
• Congress accused PM Modi, Amit Shah of making 'divisive, malicious' speeches

The Election Commission has taken note of complaints filed by the BJP and the Congress against each other during the ongoing assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

In separate letters addressed to BJP President JP Nadda and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, the Commission has sought their responses to the complaints made by the rival party.

In the letter to Kharge, the poll body noted the complaint filed by BJP on November 11, alleging poll code violation by star campaigners of the Congress during canvassing for the Jharkhand and Maharashtra Assembly elections and the bypolls.

Similarly, in a letter to Nadda, the Election Commission noted the two complaints filed by the Congress on November 13, alleging violation of Model Code of Conduct by BJP's star campaigners during election campaigns.

Both party chiefs have been asked to file a formal response by 1 pm on Monday.

COMPLAINTS FILED BY BJP, CONGRESS

The BJP had filed a complaint with the Election Commission against senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of making false statements about the Constitution in poll-bound Maharashtra and lying to "create differences between states".

"A delegation of the BJP met the Chief Election Commissioner. We told him that on November 6, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, tried to lie once again. During his Maharashtra election campaign, he attempted to pit states against each other," Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal had said on November 11.

The Congress had also filed two complaints, one against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the other against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing them of making "false, divisive" speeches in poll-bound Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

"Our complaints to the Election Commission against the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister for their divisive, false, and malicious speeches given in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. We have asked the Election Commission to investigate BJP and its leaders for their brazen electoral violations," senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote on X, attaching copies of the two letters.

The Assembly election in Jharkhand is being held in two phases, with the second phase on November 20. Maharashtra will vote in a single phase on November 20. The counting of votes for both states will be on November 23.