Lok Sabha Elections 2024: EC books BJP MP Tejasvi Surya for 'soliciting' votes in the name of religion

Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya has been booked for violation of election code of conduct and "seeking votes" in the name of the religion.

Bengaluru: A case has been registered against BJP leader LS Tejasvi Surya contesting from the Bangalore South constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for “soliciting votes on the ground of religion”.

“Case is booked against Tejasvi Surya MP and Candidate of Bengaluru South PC on 25.04.24 at Jayanagar PS u/s 123(3) for posting a video in X handle and soliciting votes on the ground of religion,” the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, posted on X.

Surya was booked under Section 123(3) of the Representation of the People (RP) Act defined as the appeal by a candidate or his agent or by any other person with the consent of a candidate’s or his election agent to vote or refrain from voting for any person on the ground of his religion, race, caste, community or language or the use of, or appeal to religious symbols or the use of, or appeal to, national symbols, such as the national flag or the national emblem, for the furtherance of the prospects of the election of that candidate or for prejudicially affecting the election of any candidate.

Sources in the State Election Commission confirmed to DH that Surya was booked for a video he posted on April 25 at 7.15 am.

Sharing a video of Ram Lalla's Surya Tilak in Ayodhya's Ram Mandir, Surya posted: “Our generation was blessed to witness the majestic Surya Tilak on Bhagwan Shri Ram at Ayodhya on Ram Navami. A wait for almost 500 years & a wish of crores of Bharatiyas was fulfilled by PM Shri @narendramodi Ji. For Bharatiyata to survive, vote for BJP! #DakshinakkeSurya”.

Surya, the incumbent MP, is contesting the 2024 polls against Congress leader Sowmya Reddy, whose father Ramalinga Reddy is the current Karnataka Transport Minister.