EC issues notice to Karnataka Congress on 'rate card' ads against BJP, seeks 'empirical' evidence

The Election Commission on Saturday (May 6) issued a notice to the Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar over its "corruption rate card" advertisements published in newspapers targeting the BJP. The poll body has sought "empirical" evidence to prove its allegations by Sunday evening. 

The notice was issued today following a complaint received from BJP for a newspaper advertisement alleging unsubstantiated but specific information.

The Commission has given time to Congress till 7 pm on May 7 to provide “empirical evidence” for alleged rates cited in the advertisement.

"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 EC notice read.

It asked the Karnataka



Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president to "convey the empirical evidence of the same, for example, the evidences for rates for kinds of appointments & transfers, kinds of jobs and kinds of commission mentioned in the advertisement given by you along with if any explanation by 19.00 hrs on 7th May 2023 and also put that in the public domain.”

Ahead of the May 10 assembly polls in Karnataka, Congress released a set of posters and advertisements listing "corruption rates" in the state between 2019 and 2023 while terming the BJP government a "trouble engine".

Earlier, ECI had issued a show-cause notice to Priyank Kharge, the Congress candidate for Chittapur assembly constituency in Kalaburgi district for using abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech. According to the ECI notice, Priyank had violated the Model Code of Conduct. Priyank had referred to the PM as ‘nalayak’ (inept).