Elections 2023: Ahead of next month's voting to elect a fresh assembly in each of the five states -- Rajasthan, MP, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram-- Congress and BJP have upped their campaigning and monitoring of what the other is doing. Both parties have decked up hoardings and one of the posters has become the eye of a fresh storm. Congress has now filed a complaint to the Election Commission (EC) against the BJP for using the image of Ram Mandir in its poll campaign poster in Madhya Pradesh.
The poster put up by the BJP reads: Bhavya Ram Mandir bankar ho raha taiyar, fir is bar bhajpa sarkar (Grand Ram Mandir is getting ready, this time again it is BJP government)
Reacting to Congress's objection, the saffron party alleged that Congress was willing to remove Ram temple hoarding in MP, adding that the grand old party's true nature has been "exposed", according to PTI.
"Congress' basic character is against Lord Shri Ram, against Sanatana Dharma. Madhya Pradesh's 9.5 crore people are asking why does Congress object to the hoardings of Ram Mandir?" Madhya Pradesh BJP President VD Sharma said.
"Congress and their leaders who practice appeasement politics are pained by the construction of the Ram Mandir," he added. Meanwhile, former Chhattisgarh CM and BJP leader Raman Singh said Hinduism is not a topic of elections but a "way of life".
Madhya Pradesh will vote on November 17 while Chhattisgarh will vote in two phases on Nov 7, 17. Results will be declared by the EC on December 3.