EC serves show cause notice to BJP in Tripura for campaigning via mobile voice messages in silence period

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday night has served show cause notice to ruling BJP in Tripura for campaigning through the mobile voice messages in the silence period violating Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Tripura, Puneet Agarwal asked the ruling BJP late on Thursday night to remove the posts made in the BJP Tripura Facebook page immediately and to reply to the show cause notice by 10 a.m. on Friday morning.

The CEO in his notice said : “….. it has been found that several posts (graphics and video) have been posted on the “BJP Tripura” Facebook page in last 6 hours. These posts tend to affect the campaign discourse within the silence period and are violating the above provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951”.

“….. the matter is prima facie found to violate the electoral laws. It is clear from the verified Facebook account of “BJP Tripura” that an appeal to the people of Tripura East (ST) Parliamentary Constituency to vote in favour of a particular party has been made,” the notice stated.

Voting would be held in the Tripura East Lok Sabha seat on Friday.

Earlier in the day, Returning Officer of the Tripura East Lok sabha seat Saju Vaheed A warned BJP candidate for Tripura West Lok Sabha seat Biplab Kumar Deb for making "objectionable remarks" aimed at senior Congress leader and MLA Sudip Roy Barman.

"You are warned and advised to refrain from making such statements during elections in the future which otherwise shall be seen as a violation of the MCC," he said in a communique to Deb, also former Tripura Chief Minister and sitting Rajya Sabha member.