The Supreme Court Thursday asked the Election Commission to decide on pending complaints against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah in connection with the alleged violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) before it hears the matter again on May 6. The EC told a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that it has already decided on two out of the 11 complaints which were filed by the Congress party against Modi and Shah. On Wednesday, the EC gave a second clean chit to PM Modi for his appeal to first-time voters by invoking the Balakot airstrikes in Latur, Maharashtra on April 9. Earlier, the poll watchdog had cleared the Prime Minister’s April 1 speech at Wardha, Maharashtra under the MCC. While referring to Rahul Gandhi’s decision to also contest from Kerala’s Wayanad constituency, PM Modi had said the Congress was taking “refuge in areas where the majority is in minority”. Senior advocate, A M Singhvi, appearing for Congress Lok Sabha MP Sushmita Dev, who has filed a petition in the apex court on the issue, said that they have given 11 representations to EC against the duo but it has taken decision on only two. "The remaining representations of the petitioners shall be decided by the Election Commission before we hear the matter again on Monday (May 6)," said the bench also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna. The Indian Express reported Tuesday that the full Commission — comprising the Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Election Commissioners Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra — has not had a single deliberation since April 5 on the alleged violations by the Prime Minister. The Congress had filed its first complaint against Modi and Shah on April 5. The next phase of the Lok Sabha elections is scheduled to be held on May 6.
