BJP accuses Congress of doing communal politics

Team Udayavani, May 3, 2018, 10:33 AM IST

Bengaluru: The BJP on Wednesday told the Election Commission that Congress was purportedly looking for votes on communal grounds and furthermore utilizing money power in the state thereby violating the electoral laws. 

BJP additionally looked for activity against state authorities who are “demonstrating leanings towards the ruling political dispensation” ahead of the May 12 assembly elections. 

A BJP deligation led by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari went by the EC and requested “prompt criminal action” against senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge. 

They likewise presented a memorandum wherein it additionally expressed that deferral in giving consents by the state authorities was harming its election campaigns. 

The memorandum additionally looked for the supporters of Belgaum North, Gokak, Yemakanmardi, Badami and Bableshwar be proclaimed “critical” and Central Armed Police Forces and micro observers “be deployed forthwith to ensure a level playing field for all parties”.

The BJP memorandum said “In an public meeting on May 1 at Kalaburagi in Karnataka, Congress pioneers Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Muslims to cast their vote all at once for the Congress candidates. This is a reasonable violation of the Model Code of Conduct and a criminal offense under the provisions of Representation of People’s Act, 1951,” 

It additionally complained that there had been “unduly long delays in according permission for even small and routine requests being made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates and workers”. 

“Regularly, the authorizations are neither denied nor endorsed, in this way leaving the candidates in mess and thus harming the party’s election campaign,” it said. 

The BJP has requested that the Election Commission coordinate the District Electoral Officers and the General Observers to “pesonally manage” such demands and be held “personally responsible” for the claimed delays.