LS Polls: NCP (SP) Files Complaint With ECI Against Ajit Pawar, BJP Leaders Over Violation Of Poll Code

New Delhi [India]: The Nationalist Congress Party- (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Friday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar and two BJP leaders for allegedly violating the Representation of the People's Act and poll code by promising disbursement of State finances using their official positions.

The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) is part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra, also comprising Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress.

"We had filed complaints with the Election Commission of India for the repeated violation of Provision VII of Model Code of Conduct and Section 123 of Representation of People's Act by Ajit Pawar; Mangesh Chavan and Mr. Chandrakant Patil," it said.

It further claimed that the leaders have been repeatedly promising disbursement of State Finances using their official positions only if their candidate is elected.

"In blatant disregard of law and dearth of any vision, they have been repeatedly promising disbursement of State Finances using their official positions only if their candidate is elected," the Sharad Pawar-led party said.

This is prima facie bribery and a corrupt practice, shockingly being resorted to by those in power in Maharashtra State, it added.

"The State Election Commission has issued orders to the local Collector and Deputy Election Officers to take immediate action. Hoping for swift and effective action to ensure fairness, justice and rule of law being followed in our democratic country," the NCP (SP) said.
The polls for the five parliamentary seats in Maharashtra were held in the first phase of polling today.

The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 out of 25 contested seats, while the undivided Shiv Sena secured 18 out of 23 seats.

The undivided NCP, part of the opposition alliance, contested 19 seats and won four. Following the split in the Shiva Sena 2022, Eknath Shinde faction aligned with the BJP.