IT cell chief Malviya’s poll date tweet was based on TV news channel report, BJP tells ECI

The BJP on Tuesday told the Election Commission of India (ECI) that its IT cell chief Amit Malviya’s tweet on the Karnataka Assembly election dates before the poll panel’s announcement was based on a news channel’s report, and a state Congress office-bearer had also tweeted about it.

A party delegation led by Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi visited the Commission after Chief Election Commissioner O. P. Rawat termed the leak “very serious” and promised “stringent action.”

Mr. Naqvi later told reporters that Mr. Malviya should not have tweeted. He said Mr. Malviya’s tweet was based on a news channel report and he had no intention to undermine the ECI’s authority.

In a letter to the ECI, Mr. Malviya said an English news channel reported the poll date at 11.06 a.m. and he tweeted about it at 11.08 a.m.. He also stated that a Karnataka Congress functionary also tweeted about the poll dates exactly at the same time.

He also submitted screenshots of the news channel report, his tweet and the Congress leader’s tweet and their timings to make his case.

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Karnataka to go to polls on May 12; results on May 15

Even as Mr. Rawat was in the midst of the news conference and had not announced the election schedule, both the BJP and Congress functionaries tweeted that the polls would be held on May 12 and the counting of votes would be on May 18. The counting date turned out to be wrong as the ECI announced that the votes will be counted on May 15.

The Congress latched onto the issue and dubbed the BJP “Super Election Commission”. It also demanded action against the BJP.