Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were accused by the BJP of breaking election rules on the day of the Rajasthan Assembly polls by posting on X. The BJP then wrote to the Election Commission to voice their concerns. The Rajasthan Assembly polls were held on Saturday. The BJP accused Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of breaking election laws with their posts on X, a former Twitter account. The BJP urged the Election Commission to request that their social media accounts be suspended and to take further action against them.
Both leaders of Congress have asked people to vote for their party in their posts. The BJP sent a letter to the Election Commission claiming that their posts go against the 48-hour period of silence before elections, during which time most forms of campaigning are prohibited.
The party requested that the poll panel take action after accusing the former Congress president and his sister, a party general secretary, of breaking the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People Act. The Election Commission has emphasised that during the 48-hour period mentioned in Section 126 (RP Act), TV, radio, cable networks, internet websites, and social media platforms must make sure that the content of their shows does not contain any information that could be interpreted as endorsing or harming the chances of any specific party or candidate.
Rahul Gandhi encouraged voters to choose the Congress in his post, saying, “Rajasthan will choose free treatment. Rajasthan will choose cheaper gas cylinders. Rajasthan will choose interest-free agricultural loan. Rajasthan will choose English education. Rajasthan will choose OPS. Rajasthan will choose the caste census.” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urged the people of Rajasthan to cast their ballot. “Your every vote, for a beautiful future, for rights, for Congress’ guarantees,” she stated, listing the promises made by her party.
In its EC complaint, the BJP stated, “The social media platform X and its functionaries may also be directed to immediately suspend the account and remove the aforestated offending contents with immediate effect lest it further violates the 48-hour silence zone and cause irreparable injury to the doctrine of free and fair elections.” It stated that in addition, the election panel ought to order Rajasthan’s Chief Election Officer to register a criminal complaint and begin criminal proceedings against the respondents.
