Congress moves EC, seeks action against Nadda, Sonowal for full page ads claiming sweep in Assam

NEW DELHI: Congress on Sunday approached the Election Commission of India asking it to register FIRs against Assam chief minister Sarbanand Sonowal and BJP president JP Nadda, among others, for flouting EC guidelines and publishing full page advertisements in all Assam dailies claims that the BJP will win all seats in upper Assam, which went to polls on March 27.



Congress alleged the front page ads were “camouflaged” to look like headlines and were in

violation

of the Representation of People’s Act.

In a complaint to the Election Commission, Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala, Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik sought directions and action against top BJP leaders for the advertisements in newspapers, saying that such publicity material violated the EC’s directions against making any

predictions

during the poll period.

“We pray to the EC to take all such actions as may be necessary and required in law, including direction for registration of offences against Sarbananda Sonowal, J P Nadda and Ranjit Kumar Dass for the blatant violation of Model Code of Conduct and the RP Act, 1951,” the Congress stated.

Congress also demanded action against the press for publishing such ads.

“The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), after realising that their defeat is inevitable, has resorted to desperate illegal and unconstitutional methods to influence voters across the state,” Congress said in its memorandum. Calling it a “pre-planned conspiracy” to influence and “defraud the voters of Assam”, Congress alleged BJP “willfully and knowingly” issued advertisements “camouflaged as political predictions as headlines on front page” throughout Assam.

“These desperate acts of the BJP have been carried out with malice to soil the fairness of the electoral process, to save their sinking ship and gain undue advantage in the Assembly elections of Assam,” Congress communications chief Randeep Surjewala said.