Congress seeks Election Commission intervention against tenders by BJP worth Rs 16,000 crore in poll-bound Karnataka
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday petitioned the Election Commission seeking its intervention on rejection of the party advertisements and issuance of tenders worth a staggering Rs 16,000 crore by the BJP hours before the declaration of Karnataka Assembly elections.
LIVE: Congress Party delegation meets ECI at Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi. https://t.co/sAnvVv1C8w
— Congress (@INCIndia) April 10, 2023
The opposition party, which is seeking to wrest power from the BJP in the southern state, also demanded that certain officers in the poll panel who have completed more than six years, be transferred from Karnataka.
The Congress also provided details of such officers. The Congress sought action against the Punjab government over the transfer of various IPC, PCS and PPS officers to allegedly favour the ruling AAP, and displaying photographs of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on ‘Aam Aadmi’ clinics, which the opposition party said is a ”direct violation of the model code of conduct” which is in force due to the bye-election in the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency.
कर्नाटक में बहुत सारे टेंडर्स चुनाव के समय और कोड ऑफ कंडक्ट लागू होने से ठीक पहले जारी किए गए।
हमारी मांग थी कि ऐसे टेंडर्स की जांच की जाए जिसका प्रभाव चुनाव और कोड ऑफ कंडक्ट के समय रहेगा।
: कर्नाटक चुनाव को लेकर ECI से मुलाकात के बाद @salman7khurshid जी का वक्तव्य pic.twitter.com/MrETN8sd6L
— Congress (@INCIndia) April 10, 2023
The party rued that five videos of the Congress seeking to create awareness among the voters in Karnataka on allegations raised against the BJP government in the state as well as the party’s design for guarantee cards being issued to voters have been rejected on the ground that these cards shall be used to collect personal information of voters.
Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress pointed out that in the past, the saffron party has run smear campaigns against the INC in the state of Karnataka without any restraint.
जब बहुत समय से कोई अधिकारी किसी क्षेत्र में तैनात रहता है तो चुनाव आयोग के नियम के मुताबिक उनका ट्रांसफर होना चाहिए।
हमने इस विषय को ECI के सामने रखा है और हमें आश्वासन मिला है।
: कर्नाटक चुनाव को लेकर ECI से मुलाकात के बाद @salman7khurshid जी का बयान pic.twitter.com/OYs94au8el
— Congress (@INCIndia) April 10, 2023
”Yet the Indian National Congress (INC) is not being allowed permission to run advertisements that are far tamer in comparison. It is our submission that the incorrect motive of collecting personal data of voters is made upon us. ”The decision to reject our advertisements is completely incorrect and requires urgent reconsideration,” it said.
”We urge the Commission to treat the matter with the urgency it deserves and to reconsider the decision given by the Karnataka State Media Certification Commission (KMCC),” the party said in its memorandum to the Election Commission (EC). The Congress also alleged that various tenders were issued by the ruling BJP government in Karnataka, 48 hours before the declaration of the Model Code of Conduct in the state.
”These tenders worth a staggering Rs 16,000 crore (approximately) are, we submitted, a direct and blatant attempt to influence the outcome of the state election. As a result, we prayed before the EC that these be scrutinised, the offending individuals penalised and the same, at the very least, be injuncted until the conclusion of the election,” the party said.
Source: Press Trust of India
