Senior leader Jaswant Singh and a candidate from Karnataka joined the list of BJP leaders to have fallen foul of the Election Commission on Wednesday.

Trying to make the best of Varun Gandhi’s “inflammatory” speeches, the party was today left defending one of its Karnataka candidates, Ananthkumar Hegde, who has got a notice from the EC for anti-minority remarks. Hegde, contesting from Uttar Kannada, has allegedly been consistently saying in his speeches that he doesn’t need a single Muslim vote”. The last of such speeches, said District Collector S Selva Kumar, was made on March 23.

Selva Kumar served the notice on Hegde on Wednesday, giving him two days to respond.

The BJP says the speeches “don’t reflect the party view… It is an individual issue.” Asked why BJP candidates were continuing to make inflammatory speeches even after the party said it had issued them an advisory to exercise “restraint”, BJP spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh said: “We have issued them another advisory; we expect them to follow the model code of conduct.”

In Rajasthan, Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Zutshi has forwarded a complaint to the EC regarding Jaswant Singh and BJP Tonk MP Kailash Meghwal, accusing them of distributing cash to voters at a rally in Ghagharia village of Barmer on Tuesday. Jaswant Singh’s son Manvendra Singh is contesting from Barmer on a BJP ticket, but was not present at the rally.

Barmer District Collector Ravi Jain said video footage showed Meghwal with a wad of currency notes amounting to Rs 10,000, “but it is as yet unclear what he intended to do with it”. He said he had forwarded a report.

A senior EC official said they had “enough” evidence. “There is video footage showing Meghwal with a wad of cash and Singh giving money.” He added that there was also a complaint over distribution of food packets at the venue.

Jaswant Singh claims to have done nothing wrong, adding that it was his family’s tradition to help the poor, and arguing that he was not a candidate. He also took a dig at the Congress: “It is my family’s tradition to help poor people, unlike in the Congress, where it is regarded as a sin.”

Speaking to The Indian Express, sitting Barmer MP Manvendra Singh only stated that it was a traditional offering to a folk artiste. “My father offered some money to a group of folk artistes, which is a part of tradition here. I was campaigning around 200 km from Ghagharia at the time,” he said. However, he added that he could not comment on the allegations against Meghwal.

However, Jaswant Singh’s argument that he wasn’t a candidate may not cut ice. According to sources, EC guidelines “clearly spell out that those working for a candidate too are expected to follow the model code of conduct”. Deputy Election Commissioner R Balakrishnan said the EC “would address the issue when it is taken up”.

The CD that reportedly shows Jaswant giving money is expected to reach the EC in Delhi soon. Once Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi returns from an official tour, the full-strength EC would go through its contents.

As for comparisons with Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was given a clean chit in a similar case, sources added “one would have to look at the two different contexts”.

Senior leader Jaswant Singh and a candidate from Karnataka joined the list of BJP leaders to have fallen foul of the Election Commission on Wednesday.

Trying to make the best of Varun Gandhi’s “inflammatory” speeches, the party was today left defending one of its Karnataka candidates, Ananthkumar Hegde, who has got a notice from the EC for anti-minority remarks. Hegde, contesting from Uttar Kannada, has allegedly been consistently saying in his speeches that he doesn’t need a single Muslim vote”. The last of such speeches, said District Collector S Selva Kumar, was made on March 23.

Selva Kumar served the notice on Hegde on Wednesday, giving him two days to respond.

The BJP says the speeches “don’t reflect the party view… It is an individual issue.” Asked why BJP candidates were continuing to make inflammatory speeches even after the party said it had issued them an advisory to exercise “restraint”, BJP spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh said: “We have issued them another advisory; we expect them to follow the model code of conduct.”

In Rajasthan, Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Zutshi has forwarded a complaint to the EC regarding Jaswant Singh and BJP Tonk MP Kailash Meghwal, accusing them of distributing cash to voters at a rally in Ghagharia village of Barmer on Tuesday. Jaswant Singh’s son Manvendra Singh is contesting from Barmer on a BJP ticket, but was not present at the rally.

Barmer District Collector Ravi Jain said video footage showed Meghwal with a wad of currency notes amounting to Rs 10,000, “but it is as yet unclear what he intended to do with it”. He said he had forwarded a report.

A senior EC official said they had “enough” evidence. “There is video footage showing Meghwal with a wad of cash and Singh giving money.” He added that there was also a complaint over distribution of food packets at the venue.

Jaswant Singh claims to have done nothing wrong, adding that it was his family’s tradition to help the poor, and arguing that he was not a candidate. He also took a dig at the Congress: “It is my family’s tradition to help poor people, unlike in the Congress, where it is regarded as a sin.”

Speaking to The Indian Express, sitting Barmer MP Manvendra Singh only stated that it was a traditional offering to a folk artiste. “My father offered some money to a group of folk artistes, which is a part of tradition here. I was campaigning around 200 km from Ghagharia at the time,” he said. However, he added that he could not comment on the allegations against Meghwal.

However, Jaswant Singh’s argument that he wasn’t a candidate may not cut ice. According to sources, EC guidelines “clearly spell out that those working for a candidate too are expected to follow the model code of conduct”. Deputy Election Commissioner R Balakrishnan said the EC “would address the issue when it is taken up”.

The CD that reportedly shows Jaswant giving money is expected to reach the EC in Delhi soon. Once Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi returns from an official tour, the full-strength EC would go through its contents.

As for comparisons with Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was given a clean chit in a similar case, sources added “one would have to look at the two different contexts”.