EC notices to Yogi, Mayawati; PM's speech under scanner

The Election Commission on Thursday issued show cause notice to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his speech suggesting that the Lok Sabha polls were a contest between Ali and Bajrang Bali.

The Commission said it was examining the report of the District Election Officer of Osmanabad on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to first-time voters in Maharashtra's Latur to dedicate their vote to the "brave soldiers" who carried out the Balakot air strikes.

The Commission also issued a showcause notice to BSP supremo Mayawati for her appeal to Muslim voters against "splitting their votes" in the eight Lok Sabha seat that went to polls on Thursday.

“We have issued notices to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BSP leader Mayawati for violation of model code of conduct," Chandra Bhushan Kumar, Deputy Election Commissioner, said in response to questions.

Kumar said the Commission was examining the report on the Prime Minister's speech at Latur. If the Commission agrees with the DEO's report, it would be for the first instance that any prime minister would be asked to explain his remarks.

Addressing a meeting in Bareilly on Monday, Adityanath had slammed Mayawati for appealing to Muslims to vote for the SP-BSP-RLD alliance and said "now Hindus have no option but to vote for the BJP".

"Agar Congress, SP, BSP ko Ali par vishwas hai, toh humein Bajrang Bali par vishwas hai (If the Congress, SP and BSP have faith in Ali, then we too have faith in Bajrang Bali),” the UP chief minister had later said in Meerut.

At a rally in Deoband on Sunday, former UP chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati had urged Muslim voters to support the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in the state, as the Congress was not strong enough to take on the BJP, and a vote for the Congress would only help the BJP. "Do not split your votes," she had said.