The State Election Commission on Saturday stayed ‘ Badh Chala Bihar,’ a government campaign, on a complaint filed by the BJP. It asked the government to get its permission before resuming the campaign after July 10, when the results of the June 7 Council elections will be declared.
On Thursday, BJP leaders lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, alleging that the campaign was meant to promote Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the ruling JD(U), and it violated the model code of conduct for the biennial elections and was being carried out with government funds.
“We welcome the EC’s decision and we demand action against Mr. Nitish Kumar and his government,” BJP leader Vinod Narayan Jha said. He demanded that an FIR be filed against Mr. Nitish Kumar for deliberately violating the model code of conduct. “It was all the government money which was being spent for the promotion of Nitish Kumar and his party,” charged the BJP leader and spokesperson.
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On June 9, releasing Vision Document 2025, Mr. Nitish Kumar launched the campaign to reach four crore people through 40,000 meetings to get their views on what Bihar should be in 2025. However, the Opposition alleged that the Mr. Nitish Kumar was trying to gain publicity before the Assembly elections due in October.