BJP asks EC to take action against Ajay Rai

Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad Monday said the Congress candidate from Varanasi, Ajay Rai, flaunting the party symbol at a polling booth committed an "offence of the Model Code of Conduct" and asked the Election Commission to take cognizance of the matter.

Rai walked into the polling station to vote with the party symbol tucked on his kurta. He also spoke to reporters within 10 metres of the polling station.

"Modi was speaking to media with the lotus symbol beyond the prohibited zone of 300 metres, which is permissible. But in case of the Congress candidate in Kashi, Rai was inside the booth with hand (party) symbol. It is clearly an offence of the Model Code of Conduct," Prasad told a news channel here.

An FIR was lodged against BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi when he addressed a press conference outside a polling station in Gandhinagar and clicked a selfie with the lotus party symbol in his hand.

"Would the EC take cognizance of it, take appropriate action? Or as in the case of Rahul Gandhi's violation of Model Code of Condust when he was fiddling with an EVM machine, he would be let off?" the Bharatiya Janata Party spokesman asked.

"This is an important issue and we would like the Election Commission to ensure... to take action... and that its approach does not give an indication of discrimination," he added.