The Congress party has lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing the party of disseminating a misleading advertisement targeting leaders of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Indian National Congress (INC), and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ahead of the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections. Congress claims the advertisement, posted on social media, presents false and defamatory portrayals of these leaders, allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct and electoral laws.

In its complaint, Congress pointed specifically to an advertisement published on the BJP’s official Facebook page for Jharkhand, "BJP4Jharkhand," on November 9. The party alleged that the advertisement, which it claims was designed to malign the reputations of JMM, INC, and RJD leaders, contains "false and baseless narratives" aimed at misleading the public.

“We are writing to you with respect to an advertisement published by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Official Facebook Handle for the State of Jharkhand, i.e., ‘BJP4Jharkhand.’ On a prima facie viewing, the advertisement published by the BJP4Jharkhand page is in blatant violation of the Model Code of Conduct and other electoral laws,” read the complaint.

"In the said advertisement published on 09.11.2024, false allegations and statements are being ascribed to leaders of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Additionally, the leaders are being portrayed in a negative and false light, with the sole intent of propagating false and baseless narratives against them," it further added.

According to Congress, the advertisement falsely accuses JMM, INC, and RJD leaders of being "anti-Adivasi," while claiming they disguise themselves as pro-Adivasi for personal political gain. The complaint alleges that the ad included actors resembling these leaders to strengthen this narrative and conveyed false claims that undermine tribal rights. Congress attached a clip of the ad as evidence, marking it as Annexure-A.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh shared the complaint and condemned the BJP’s campaign tactics. “A complaint has just been lodged with the Election Commission on a most disgusting ad relating to Jharkhand put out by the BJP officially. It not only brazenly and blatantly violates the ECI’s Model Code of Conduct, it is also an act of serious criminality,” Ramesh wrote. He added, “We hope the ECI will act immediately and pursue this matter to its logical conclusion.”

The Jharkhand Assembly elections, set for November 13 and 20, will see 81 seats contested in two phases, with results expected on November 23. Congress is urging the ECI to take swift action against the alleged violation, emphasising the need to maintain a fair electoral process as voting approaches.