The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, alleging that the Congress party had published malicious, false, unverified, and defamatory news advertisements on the front page of almost all prominent newspapers. The complaint was lodged on April 24, just two days before the poll.
In its letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the BJP stated that the Congress party had published an advertisement with the heading 'Chambu', a slang term used to refer to 'being cheated or empty promise'. The BJP alleged that through this advertisement, the Congress party insinuated that the Central Government had cheated the state of Karnataka.
The BJP's letter also included some of the advertisements published in the notable newspapers. The party alleged that the Congress, fully aware of the actual statistics, had falsely published the advertisement on the front pages of notable newspapers with the intention to prejudice the minds of the voters and influence the outcome of the elections by making false statements without any basis.
The BJP further stated in its letter that such an advertisement could have serious implications on the outcome of the election, violating the Model Code of Conduct and the Representative of the People Act. The party added that the said advertisement grossly violates the provisions enshrined under the Model Code of Conduct.
The 28 seats of Karnataka are set to go to polls in two phases — on April 26 and May 7. The counting is scheduled for June 4. The BJP had a strong performance in the state in the 2019 general elections, winning 25 out of 28 seats.
