Taking note of the plummeting quality of the election campaign by their star campaigners in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI), on Wednesday, issued a set of directions to BJP National President JP Nadda and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge in this regard.

Notably, the poll panel last month had directed both the presidents of the major parties to set high standards of political discourse for all their star campaigners and observe provisions of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in letter and spirit. The direction was issued in the wake of complaints against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

In separate orders to the BJP president and the Congress chief, the ECI directed to advise their star campaigners to be careful in their campaign utterances. “Political parties are in the task of nurturing leaders for the country for present and future. They cannot afford to be lax in any manner in enforcing discipline and conduct among the cadre in the high-stakes electoral space, especially with reference to senior members. It is expected of you to use the strength of your office and intra-party consultations to advise/ counsel/ oblige the listed star campaigners of your party to be careful in their campaign utterances and correct their discourses,” the poll panel told the chiefs of both the parties.

The ECI also asked them to direct their star campaigner to refrain from making any statement that may create “hatred” between communities.

Referring to Clause (1) of the general conduct of MCC, the poll panel said, “No party or candidate shall include in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic.”

In its order to Nadda, the ECI asked to convey to all-star campaigners of the party “to not make speeches and statements, which may divide the society.”

It also asked him to convey to them to refrain from any campaigning “methods/utterances along religious/communal lines”.

The poll panel, in a separate order to Kharge, asked him to convey to all-star campaigners of his party that they do not make statements that give a “false impression such as that the Constitution of India may be abolished or sold”.

The ECI also directed to ensure full compliance with its advisory of 19th March 2019, which requires that “their campaigners/candidates should desist as part of the election campaigning from indulging in any political propaganda involving activities of the Defence forces and not to make potentially divisive statements regarding the socio-economic composition of Defence forces.”

The Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases between 19th April and 1st June. The results will be declared on 4th June.