UP elections 2022: SP files complaint against BJP

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) accusing Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers of violating the Model Code of Conduct to campaign in the Kairana Assembly constituency and other areas.

The complaint comes hours after the party demanded a ban on opinion polls on news channels.

In the complaint lodged by SP national secretary Rajendra Chaudhary, it was stated that in Shamli's Kairana and several other Assembly constituencies, BJP leaders and party workers are campaigning with more than 10 people in open violation of the Model Code of Conduct and guidelines issued by the ECI in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The complaint comes a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah kicked off the party's door-to-door campaign, visiting families affected by the alleged exodus of Hindus from Kairana before 2017.

"To ensure free, fair and 'fearless' elections, the ECI should pass strictures against BJP leaders and party workers who have been involved in campaigning for the party in Kairana assembly constituency and other areas in groups of more than 10 people which is a direct violation of the guidelines that EC has issued and violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Action should also be initiated against them," said the letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).

Chaudhary said the ECI should take note of the visuals readily available on social media and seek ground reports about the presence of scores of people at gatherings of BJP leaders.

"The ECI has to ensure that the concept of level playing field for all political parties in elections is not modified to suit the situation. We (SP) have demanded action against those who have openly violated the Covid-19 guidelines and also a mechanism should be put in place to check such violations in future as well," Chaudhary said.