The Unprecedented Warning from the Poll Body: “Big 2 Parties Not Allowed To Weaken…”

After five phases of the Lok Sabha election, the main opposition Congress and the ruling BJP were harshly criticized by the Election Commission for speeches made by prominent campaigners during polls

This occurs following complaints lodged by both parties against one another, citing remarks made by Rahul Gandhi, the Congress MP, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The poll body told Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the Congress, and JP Nadda, the head of the BJP, separately that the nation’s sociocultural environment could not be sacrificed in the name of voting.

“Political parties compete in elections, but they also use this process to showcase their best selves to the electorate, giving people something to aspire to, experience, and model after. Nobody, including your party, should be able to undermine the second half, which makes up the more priceless legacy of Indian elections and our electoral system, the commission stated.

Elections are cyclical exercises that come and go, but political parties like yours remain. India’s socio-cultural environment is even more enduring. Political parties are tasked with producing the nation’s leaders of today and tomorrow. The poll board informed both parties, “They cannot afford to be lax in any way in enforcing discipline and conduct among the cadre in the high stakes electoral space; especially with reference to senior members.”

Both parties had previously protested about each other’s leaders to the Election Commission. The electoral body had sent out letters and requested their comments on the accusations. It has disregarded their defenses in the ways of today.

The electoral commission stated in a letter to Mr. Nadda that it fully expects the BJP, “as the ruling party at the Centre, to align the campaign methods to the practical aspects of the composite and sensitive fabric of India”.

The BJP has been instructed by the commission to advise all prominent campaigners not to make any remarks that are forbidden by the Model Code of Conduct. “No Party or candidate shall include in any activity which may aggravate existing difference or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic,” the statement emphasized, using the regulations as authority.

The head of the BJP was instructed by the electoral commission “to not make speeches and statements, which may divide the society” for the star campaigners. The famous campaigners were also told to “avoid any campaigning methods/utterances along religious communal lines.” The poll body also demanded decorum from the party’s top campaigners throughout their addresses.

The Congress is expected to “fully align the campaign methods to the practical aspects of the composite and sensitive fabric of India,” according to the letter from the Election Commission to Mr. Kharge.

The polling organization requested that the head of Congress instruct its top campaigners to refrain from making remarks that are forbidden by the model code of conduct’s General Conduct guidelines.

Additionally, Mr. Kharge was instructed to instruct Congress celebrity campaigners to “avoid making potentially polarizing remarks about the socioeconomic makeup of the Defense Forces and to refrain from engaging in any political propaganda involving activities of the Defense forces during the election campaign.” Additionally, he was instructed to advise celebrity campaigners “not to make statements which give false impressions, such as that the Indian Constitution may be sold or abolished.”

Prior to this, Prime Minister Modi had accused the opposition party of wanting to divide up riches among Muslims and of not even caring about married women’s “mangalsutra.” For this reason, the Congress had sought the electoral commission.

However, the BJP had brought attention to a statement made by Rahul Gandhi in which he claimed that the Prime Minister was advocating for a single nation, language, and religion, which was then reported to the Election Commission.

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Mr. Nadda and Mr. Kharge had since received notices from the electoral body. Remarkably, the notices held party leaders accountable for the remarks made by prominent campaigners, but neither Prime Minister Modi nor Mr. Gandhi’s names were mentioned. There is no mention of a leader’s name in today’s directions either.