22 May,2024 06:00 PM IST | Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Mallikarjun Kharge/ File Photo
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has sent notifications to BJP President JP Nadda and Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge, requesting that they direct their star campaigners to alter their language, show caution, and maintain decorum during their campaigns.
This extraordinary measure is in response to the declining quality of campaigning by major figures from both parties. The Election Commission has harshly reprimanded both the BJP and the Congress for their divisive campaigns for India General Elections 2024 based on caste, community, language, and religion, reported ANI.
According to the ANI report, the EC advised prominent campaigners from both parties to avoid religious and communal discourse. It also directed the BJP to discontinue campaign speeches that could provoke societal discord.
Similarly, the Congress was ordered to ensure that its campaigners did not make deceptive remarks concerning the abolition or sale of India's Constitution. The EC also warned Congress campaigners from politicising the military forces or making divisive remarks regarding their socioeconomic mix, the report added.
The Commission emphasised the necessity of conserving India's sociocultural fabric and cautioned against allowing elections to jeopardise its history. The EC emphasised that all parties bear the duty to ensure the quality of the electoral experience for Indian voters.
The Election Commission's directions follow the first five stages of polling, which took place on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. The following two rounds of voting are set for May 25 and June 1, with the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections being declared on June 4.
According to another report in PTI, the Election Commission's notice to BJP stated the poll body expected the party's campaign to align with "sensitive fabric of India.
"The Commission expects BJP, as the ruling party at the Centre to fully align the campaign methods to the practical aspects of the composite and sensitive fabric of India," the noted read per PTI.
While issuing the notifications, the EC used provisions (Section 77) of the Representation of the People Act to hold party presidents accountable as the first step in reining in star campaigners, the PTI report further stated.
