Modi misused official machinery in nomination: Congress

The Congress Wednesday complained to the Election Commission that BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had misused official machinery while filing his nomination from Gujarat's Vadodara and sought special central observers be deployed there.

In the complaint to the poll panel, Congress said that its candidate from Vadodra, Madhusudan Mistry, was facing difficulties in running a smooth campaign and his genuine complaints made to authorities "were not being looked into and resolved."

K. C. Mittal, secretary of Congress' legal and human rights department, said that fundamental principles of electoral process and model code of conduct were not being adhered to by Modi, also the Gujarat chief minister.

Modi, who Wednesday filed his nomination papers for Vadodara Lok Sabha seat, is also a contesting from Varanasi.

Mittal said the Congress had earlier complained about "the manner in which 1,000 prime locations meant for election publicity were taken over by the BJP and Modi in connivance with the authorities".

"The manner in which the nomination was filled by using the official machinery is also a glaring violation of the model code," he alleged.

He said the "kind of atmosphere being created by Modi" was denying an equal opportunity to the Congress candidate.

The party sought special central observers may be stationed "whom the Congress candidate can approach and get the difficulties and issues resolved at the appropriate level".

"This will help the Congress candidate to at least raise grievances for resolution before an independent authority, not under any kind of influence from Modi," the party said.