Canvassing on poll day: FIR against Tejasvi Surya

The Election Commission officials on Thursday afternoon registered a complaint against Bangalore South BJP candidate Tejasvi Surya for violating the model code of conduct by influencing voters through social media.

Surya, soon after casting his vote, shot a video of himself outside the polling booth urging people to vote for BJP and elect PM Narendra Modi led government yet again at the centre. Surya was also seen in the video appealing to BJP party workers not to rest until the end and spread out on the field to make people come out in large and vote for Modi.

Subsequently, Surya also tweeted the same message, "Our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji has entrusted this job in your capable hands. There are only few hours left until voting ends and I request each and every one of you to go door to door and request people to vote." EC's flying squad officials who have been monitoring any violations have taken note of the video and registered a case against Surya under the provisions of Representation of People's Act.

The Model code of conduct flying Squad officials had filed a complaint against Bangalore South BJP candidate Tejasvi Surya for campaigning through social media, as he asked voters to cast their vote for BJP to make Narendra Modi as prime minister once again on a poll day on Thursday. The Siddapura police told DH that following a complaint, an FIR was registered and he has been informed to remove the videos. "If the videos are not deleted, we will initiate strict action against him," a police official at Siddapur police station told DH.

Meantime, similar such appeals have also been made by political stalwarts like former Prime Minister HD Devegowda and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah appealing to the people to vote for coalition candidates across Karnataka.