The Election Commission (EC) has asked the president of the Congress’s Rajasthan unit to explain two advertisements that have been filed against the party by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). One of the advertisements claims a wave in favor of the Congress and is designed to look like a news item, while the other asks people to give missed calls to benefit from the party’s poll promises. The EC has directed that the format, content, language, and placement of the first advertisement should not be used during this time. The commission’s second notice concerns an allegation of voter inducement. The advertisement in question asks people to give missed calls to avail benefits and appears to be aimed at enticing voters in exchange for future benefits. The EC has asked the Congress president to respond by 7 pm on Friday to explain their violation of the model code with this advertisement. The BJP had filed a complaint with the EC, alleging that the Congress was attempting to give credibility to a purely political campaign by disguised it as news. The EC has stated that political parties are expected to issue advertisements as political advertisements, clearly identifying them as such. The EC has noted that the Congress’s campaign fails to meet the standards expected from a national party and is misleading. It aims to create confusion among voters about the outcome of the election and disrupts a level playing field. The EC also referenced an old complaint made by the Congress against a BJP advertisement in Assam, highlighting the BJP’s attempt to gain an unfair advantage. The Congress had sought an FIR and directions to news organizations to prevent the abetting of this crime. The EC points out that the Congress advertisements in Rajasthan failed to include the election symbol in its design and content, unlike the Assam advertisements where it was prominently displayed. The EC has advised parties to maintain discipline in the electoral space and avoid indirect violations of instructions and advisories that may confuse voters or obfuscate the genre of political campaigning in newspapers and print media.