Congress lodges complaint against Smriti Irani, CM Yogi for violation of model code of conduct

Congress has registered a complaint with Election Commission demanding action against Union Minister Smriti Irani and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for violating the model code of conduct.

The Congress has written a letter to the poll panel stating that Irani violated poll code during a roadshow and public meeting ahead of filing her nomination papers from Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, home turf of party president Rahul Gandhi.

According to the letter accessed by News Nation, the Congress said that BJP candidate put up hoarding and posters on several electricity poles.

"The candidate used loudspeakers on vehicles during her roadshow on National Highway 232 and addressed public at many places which resulted in a huge traffic jam. The BJP candidate addressed public at around 8 places before the scheduled place where she had permission to address a public meet," the letter to Election Commission reads.

"The situation becomes more serious when this was done by the state chief minister," it added.

Earlier, Irani filed nomination papers from Amethi, pitting herself against Gandhi who has won thrice from the Lok Sabha constituency regarded as Gandhi family pocket borough.

Irani filed the nomination after a road show, which followed a similar route taken by the one organised by the Congress when Rahul Gandhi submitted his own papers here on Wednesday.

She lost the 2014 election by over a lakh votes, but the shrunken margin of victory for Gandhi boosted the Bharatiya Janata Party's hopes.