JOIN USBattle of complaints between BJP & Congress in poll-bound Karnataka
Karnataka has been witnessing a rather intense battle over the last few weeks owing to the Assembly elections slated for May 10, 2023.
While elaborating their manifestos in order to appeal to the citizens has certainly been a part of this term's campaigns for political parties, they have paid more attention to muckraking the others in the race.
Between the raging war-of-words to the battle of complaints, the Election Commission of India has time and again been dragged into the ongoing political fiasco.
As the parties have been refrained from further campaigning, let us get you updated with all those instances when the BJP or the Congress knocked the doors of the EC to get back at each other.
Cong, BJP reach out to EC over Sonia Gandhi’s ‘sovereignty’ remarks
The Congress on May 8 petitioned the Election Commission, requesting it to direct police authorities to register a case against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he made a false statement that "Congress is trying to disintegrate Karnataka from Bharat". The party accused him of making "false, baseless, frivolous" allegations only to solicit votes for the BJP. In a blistering attack on the Congress for former party chief Sonia Gandhi's "Karnataka's sovereignty" remarks, Modi during his last campaign rally accused the party of openly advocating for "separating" Karnataka from India.
The BJP also moved the Election Commission seeking action against Sonia Gandhi and derecognition of her party for her use of the term "sovereignty" for Karnataka during the state poll campaign.
EC issues notice to Karnataka Cong on 'rate card' ads against BJP, seeks 'empirical' evidence
Ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka, the Congress released a set of posters and advertisements listing "corruption rates" in the state between 2019 and 2023 while terming the BJP government a "trouble engine". The EC notice was issued following a complaint lodged by the BJP.
Shobha Karandlaje lodged complaint with EC against Shivakumar for taking 'bribe'
Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje had demanded action against Congress state president D K Shivakumar for allegedly seeking bribe while issuing B-Forms to his party candidates ahead of filing nominations for the May 10 Assembly election in Karnataka. Karandlaje alleged that Shivakumar had gone on record saying the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) had collected money from ticket aspirants, in violation of the poll code.
Responding to this, DKS demanded that the Election Commission should investigate the matter. Soon after calling out BJP’s “conspiracy,” Shivakumar’s nomination papers were approved.
Congress lodges complaint with EC against PM for invoking name of Hanuman in election rallies
Congress lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for invoking the name of Lord Hanuman in the election rallies in Karnataka. Modi, in his election rally since May 2, has been hitting out at the Congress for promising a ban on the right-wing outfit Bajrang Dal and equated the ban with "locking up" Bajrangbali, Lord Hanuman. Modi also chanted ‘Jai Bajrangbali’ in all the three speeches in Karnataka on Wednesday. The Congress asked the Election Commission to restrain Modi from taking up the names of Hindu Gods, according to the advisory.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot urged the Election Commission to ban PM Modi from campaigning in poll-bound Karnataka.
"Read the law... if someone talks in the name of religion, on religious grounds in the election campaign, ban should be imposed. His (Modi) election stands rejected, " Gehlot added.
Poisonous snake, now a part of election rallies
The BJP on April 28 urged the Election Commission to file a criminal case against Mallikarjun Kharge and bar him from campaigning in the Karnataka assembly polls, stepping up its attack on the Congress president for his "poisonous snake" barb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Union minister Bhupender Yadav, who led a BJP delegation to the Election Commission, told reporters that Kharge's comment was not merely a slip of the tongue but part of the Congress' "hate politics".
At a campaign rally at Kalaburagi on April 27, Kharge called Modi a “poisonous snake”, causing an uproar that led him to issue an apology.
In their complaint, the BJP said that Kharge had earlier used such “derogatory” language, using terms like ‘Modi teri kabr khudegi’, and then calling Modi a “100-headed Ravana”.
Cong urges EC to act against Shah, Nadda, Yogi for 'hate speeches' in Karnataka
The Congress, on May 2, accused Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP chief J P Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of making "hate speeches" in poll-bound Karnataka and urged the Election Commission to take immediate action against them in the wake of Supreme Court orders on such speeches. The three BJP leaders have been alleging that "if the Congress comes to power, there would be riots" in the state, which amounts to hate speech as such speeches lead to a division in society, the Congress leaders said. "We have urged the Election Commission to take action as per law against these people in the wake of Supreme Court orders which have called for immediate action on hate speeches," they added.
BJP, Congress go to EC over Cong's Priyank Kharge’s, BJP's Yatnal’s 'nalayak', 'vishkanya' remarks respectively
The BJP on May 2 raised with the Election Commission the issue of the Congress promising tough action against Bajrang Dal and its leader Prinyak Kharge calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi "nalayak" as it accused the opposition party of resorting to politics of appeasement and division in Karnataka. Piyush Goyal claimed that the Congress is rattled as the BJP is set to win the May 10 polls, adding that the opposition party is now trying to vitiate the law and order situation and divide the society as a last resort.
During an interaction with the media in poll-bound Karnataka, BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal called Sonia Gandhi a 'Vishkanya,' apparently responding to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's comparison of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a 'poisonous snake.'
Election Commission on May 3 issued notices to Congress MLA Priyank Kharge and to BJP legislator Basangouda Patil Yatnal for his "vishkanya" jibe at former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. The separate EC notices said the two have prima facie violated provisions of the model code in Karnataka.
It is now for us to see if any of these barbs that the political parties have unapologetically threw at each other will help them with votes that will be counted on May 13.
(With Agency inputs)