Cong, BJP asks more time from EC to respond to poll code complaints

The Congress and the BJP have sought seven more days from the Election Commission to respond to poll code violation complaints filed by them against each other in Jharkhand and Maharashtra, sources said Monday.

In the wake of the BJP and the Congress lodging complaints against each other with the EC for poll code violations, the election panel on Saturday had asked the presidents of the two parties to comment on the charges levelled against their leaders.

The EC wrote separate letters to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J P Nadda and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, asking them to comment on the complaint of the other.

The Commission exchanged the complaints between the two parties while seeking their responses.

The EC has sought formal responses from both the party presidents by 1 pm on Monday (November 18).

Now the two parties have sought from the EC seven more days to send their respective responses.

While the Congress had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of violating the poll code, the BJP had lodged complaint against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

While seeking their comments, the poll panel had reminded them of the Commission's earlier advisory to them during the Lok Sabha election to keep star campaigners and leaders under check so that public decorum is not flouted and the model code is followed in its letter and spirit during campaigning.

Top leaders of the two parties are campaigning in Jharkhand and Maharashtra for the ongoing Assembly polls.