J P Nadda, BJP national presidentBJP president J P Nadda on Monday replied to the Election Commission’s April 25 notice to him on complaints of Model Code of Conduct violations by the party’s star campaigner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Nadda, who sought two extensions before submitting the response to the poll panel, is learnt to have given a “factual rebuttal” based “purely on data”. The reply, according to a source, sought to “join the dots and expose the narrative of the Opposition”. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who too was served notice on complaints against party MP Rahul Gandhi, submitted his reply to the EC last week. Now the poll panel is likely to go through both the replies on Tuesday, another source said.
Temple Tattoo
BJP leaders campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls make it a point to highlight the importance of the Ram Temple inauguration in Ayodhya. One such leader, three-time Jhansi MLA Ravi Sharma, has got a big tattoo of the temple inked on his right arm. During an election rally, Sharma told the crowd that his wife too got the Ram Temple image tattooed on her arm so that they can forever remember January 22, the date on which the idol of Lord Ram was consecrated in Ayodhya.
High-Stakes Poll
In the election season, one more model code of conduct is set to be enforced in the national capital. The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election is scheduled for May 16. The SCBA on Monday announced a 24-hour ban on campaigning, starting 10 am on May 15. It’s a high-stake election as senior advocate and former Union Minister Kapil Sibal has entered the race against incumbent Adish Agarwala. The current vice president of SCBA, Pradeep Rai, and senior advocate Priya Hingorani have also thrown their hats in the ring.