The Election Commission has banned the advertisements of Karnataka’s Congress government in Telangana dailies ahead of the assembly polls in the southern state. This decision was made in response to a complaint filed by the BJP and the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi of K Chandrashekar Rao, who are both trying to establish a presence in the state. The Election Commission has issued a notice to the Principal Secretary of the Karnataka government, demanding a response by 5 pm the following day.
The complaint filed by the BJP, which has formed an alliance with actor-politician Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena, alleges that the Congress is misusing public funds to influence the elections. The Congress party emerged victorious in the assembly elections held earlier this year, dethroning the BJP from power in the only southern state it ruled.
In another incident, the Election Commission recently revoked permission for the Telangana government to provide financial aid to farmers under the Rythu Bandhu Scheme. This decision came after a state minister made a public announcement about the scheme, which was deemed a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. The Commission stated that there would be no disbursement under the scheme until the Model Code of Conduct ceases to apply in Telangana.
The elections in Telangana are scheduled for Thursday, and the votes will be counted on Sunday, December 3, along with votes from four other states.
