Oppn seeks ban on PM's speech on poll day

Congress and other parties approach Election Commission for action against Modi

The grand anti-BJP alliance on Sunday approached the Election Commission seeking a ban on live telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election rallies in Bihar on polling days.

Apprehending that Modi might visit regions in Bihar where elections are not scheduled for Monday to address rallies, leaders of the Congress, Janata Dal-U (JD-U)and Rastriya Janata Dal (RJD) approached the commission seeking action to prevent the prime minister from influencing voters who are set to exercise their franchise on Monday.

Nearly one-third of Bihar’s voters are eligible to cast their votes during the first two phases of the five-phase elections. The second phase of polling is scheduled for October 16.

“We are apprehending/believe that the PM will be visiting Bihar on those days for campaigning and his speeches will be telecast live by various channels influencing almost one third of the electorate of Bihar,” Congress leader Ajay Maken, JD (U) leaders K C Tyagi and Pavan Verma and RJD leader Manoj Jha said in a memorandum presented to the Election Commission.

They argued that telecast of the Prime Minister’s speeches while polling was in progress in one part of the state amounted to violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

They have asked the commission to issue instructions to prohibit live telecast of the prime minister’s speeches during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for the conclusion of the poll during all phases of the poll.

The grand alliance leaders also appealed to the Commission to instruct the BJP not to schedule the Prime Minister’s election tours in the multi-phase Bihar elections during the 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for conclusion of the poll.