Congress takes swipe at EC, says MCC has become 'Modi's Campaign Code'

New Delhi: Ahead of the announcement of assembly poll dates by the Election Commission, the Congress on Sunday slammed the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), saying it has turned into what it calls the "Modi's Code of Campaigning" since 2014.

"The Election Commission will announce the schedule for the 2026 assembly elections at 4 PM today. It would have been given the go-ahead by the G2, since G1 would have completed this round of inaugurations, ribbon-cuttings, flag-offs, and launches," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.

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Ramesh further added, "The Election Commission's Model Code of Conduct (MCC) will soon come into effect. But since 2014 this has come to stand for Modi's Code of Campaigning which will be full of defamation, abuses, intimidation, fear-mongering, and spreading the virus of lies."

The Congress frequently uses the term 'G2' to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, both from Gujarat, while 'G1' refers to the previous round of government activities.

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The MCC is intended to ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections by regulating campaigning, polling, and counting, and by preventing the misuse of state machinery and funds by ruling parties.

The Election Commission is scheduled to announce dates for assembly polls in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, and Puducherry on Sunday evening. The legislative assemblies of these regions are set to conclude their terms between May and June.

Final electoral rolls for all four states and the Union Territory of Puducherry have been published as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' lists ahead of the elections.