Jharkhand Bypoll: Congress Files Complaint, Accuses BJP Of Violating MCC

The Jharkhand unit of Congress on Monday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, alleging that BJP president JP Nadda violated the model code of conduct by "canvassing" his party's Mandar bypoll nominee at a tribal rally, which was scheduled to be a "non-electoral" program. Addressing the 'Dharti Aba Birsa Munda Vishwas' rally at Ranchi’s Morabadi ground on Sunday, Nadda attacked the JMM-led coalition in the state and gave a clarion call to oust the dispensation, which is headed by someone who has become "synonymous with corruption". 

"The BJP organized the tribal rally when the nomination process for the bypoll is underway. The appeal made by the BJP national president in favor of his party's candidate was a violation of model code of conduct," Congress spokesperson Rajiv Rajan told reporters after filing the complaint with the office of the chief electoral officer.  He also said that the Congress, an ally of the ruling coalition, wanted to know whether the saffron camp sought permission from the CEO's office to organize the program which was scheduled to be a "non-electoral" event. 

The Congress fielded former MLA Bandhu Tirkey's daughter, Shilpi Neha Tirkey for the by-election. The bypoll to the assembly seat was necessitated after Bandhu Tirkey was disqualified as a member of the Jharkhand Assembly on April 8, following a judgment by a special CBI court. The special CBI court had on March 28 sentenced Tirkey, a former minister in the state government, to three years in jail in a corruption case.

The nomination process for the bypoll ended on Monday.  As many as 19 candidates filed their nomination papers for the by-election and these documents will be scrutinized on Tuesday. The bypoll will be held on June 23 and votes will be counted on June 26.