BMC elections 2017: Full-page newspaper advertisement on polling day, EC gets complaints

Other Shiv Sena leaders also objected to the advertisement.

The complaints pertained to the use of the words ‘transparency’ and ‘change’, key elements of BJP’s campaign for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation section. The advertisement urged Mumbai’s voters to exercise their franchise and said, among other things, people must vote for accountability and transparency.

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In his complaint, advocate Dharmendra Mishra, a core committee member of the Yuva Sena, said, “The words and images quoted in the newspaper clearly say about change of government, which is nothing but an act of their corrupt practices, which they are using for the purpose of influencing voters… the word transparency used in the ad clearly speaks that the present government is hiding which is an act of defaming.”

Defending the advertisement, Mumbai First chairman Narinder Nayar said there was nothing unethical about it. “There are no violations of the code of conduct. Mumbai First’s agenda for the last 10 years has been change and transparency as we want to transform Mumbai into a world-class city and bring accountability to the ones that govern it. Today’s ad is asking people to come out and vote,” Nayar told The Indian Express.

Stating that Mumbai First placed the ad of its own volition, Nayar said they would respond to the State Election Commission if asked to do so. “We are not aligned to any political party. We are not interested in politics. We worked closely with the last government of the Congress, and now with the BJP…we have no regrets about the ad,” Nayar added.