Election Commission asks BJP, Congress to respond to complaints of violation of election code during campaigns in Maharashtra and Jharkhand

The Election Commission has taken cognizance of the 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 demanded their response to the rival party’s complaints.

In a letter to Kharge, the poll body took note of a complaint filed by the BJP on November 11 alleging that star Congress campaigners had violated the election code while campaigning for the Jharkhand and Maharashtra Assembly elections and by-polls.

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

Both party leaders have been asked to provide an official response by 1pm on Monday.

COMPLAINTS FILED BY BJP, CONGRESS

The BJP has filed a complaint with the Election Commission against senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of perjury on the Constitution in the poll-bound state of Maharashtra and lying to “create discord between states”.

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

The Congress 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 election-bound Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

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

The Jharkhand Assembly elections are being held in two phases, with the second phase to be held on November 20. In Maharashtra, voting will be held in a single phase on November 20. Counting of votes in both states will take place on November 23.