The Election Commission of India issued a notice to Bharat Rashtra Samiti President and former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for his “derogatory” remarks about the Congress Party during a press conference. Acting on a complaint by Congress leader G Niranjan, the Election Commission found KCR in violation of the Model Code of Conduct during his press briefing in Sircilla on April 5. The Commission noted previous advisories to KCR regarding his speech.
“The commission received a complaint from G. Niranjan, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee Sr. Vice President, alleging that K. Chandrasekhar Rao made vulgar, derogatory, and objectionable allegations against the Congress party in his Sircilla press meet,” the notice stated.
KCR has been asked to explain his remarks by 11 am on April 18, with the Election Commission warning of appropriate action if he fails to respond within the deadline.
In a separate statement, the Election Commission shared actions taken since the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct on March 16, 2024, with the commencement of the general elections to the Lok Sabha. The EC noted receiving a total of 51 complaints from the Bharatiya Janata Party, with action taken in 38 cases, and 59 complaints from the Congress, with action taken in 51 cases. Complaints from other parties totaled 90, with action taken in 80 cases.
The EC highlighted several “exemplary decisions” made during the last month of the Model Code of Conduct to ensure fairness among political parties. This included taking a strong stance to protect the dignity and honor of women by issuing notices to leaders who made derogatory remarks against them.