BJP and Congress seek more time to respond to EC notice

New Delhi: The BJP has sought one more week while the Congress 14 more days from the Election Commission to respond to notices issued to their party chiefs on complaints of model code violations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, respectively, sources said on Monday.

BJP president J P Nadda and Congress chief Kharge were on Thursday asked by the poll panel to respond to the notices by 11 am on Monday.

The BJP has asked for a week’s time to respond to the notice, sources in the Election Commission (EC) said.

The Congress had asked for time till 5 pm on Monday but, subsequently, it has asked for 14 more days to respond to the notice, they said.

There is no word yet on whether the commission has agreed to the requests of the BJP and the Congress.

Taking cognisance for the first time of a model code violation complaint against a prime minister, the

EC had on Thursday issued a notice to Nadda on the opposition’s charge that Modi gave a divisive speech in Rajasthan’s Banswara.

Separately, the poll panel also issued a notice to Kharge, asking him to respond to the complaints filed by the BJP against him and Gandhi regarding their remarks.