The Election Commission has issued a notice to the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) for its "corruption rate card" advertisements targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka.
The notice was issued on Saturday following a complaint lodged by the BJP. The Congress released posters and advertisements ahead of the May 10 assembly polls in Karnataka, listing "corruption rates" in the state between 2019 and 2023, while terming the BJP government a "trouble engine."
The notice asked the KPCC president to provide "empirical evidence" to support the allegations made in the advertisements by Sunday evening. The EC notice read that, "It is a fair assumption that INC possesses the material/empirical/verifiable evidence based on which these specific/explicit 'facts' have been published, an action which can fairly be assessed to embed knowledge, motive and intent to do so by the author."
The notice further asked the KPCC president to make the evidence publicly available along with any explanations by 7th May 2023. The BJP had complained that the Congress was making baseless allegations and was trying to influence voters by publishing these advertisements.
Congress spokesperson and Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge defended the advertisements, stating that the party had the evidence to support its claims. Kharge also accused the BJP of being corrupt and claimed that the Congress would win the upcoming elections. The Karnataka assembly elections are scheduled to be held on May 10, and the results will be declared on May 12.
The notice by the Election Commission comes amid a heated election campaign in Karnataka, with both the BJP and Congress trading barbs against each other. The "corruption rate card" advertisements have become a major point of contention between the two parties, with the BJP demanding an apology from the Congress for making baseless allegations.
