BJP defends IT head over K'taka poll date row, says tweet based on TV channel report

New Delhi: The BJP on Tuesday told the Election Commission that its IT cell chief Amit Malviya's tweet on the Karnataka Assembly election dates before the poll panel's announcement was based on a news channel's report and a state Congress office-bearer had also tweeted about it.

A party delegation led by Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi visited the commission after Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat termed the leak as "very serious" and promised "stringent action".

Naqvi later told reporters that Malviya should not have tweeted.

He said that Malviya's tweet was based on a news channel report and he had no intention to undermine the EC's authority.

Also read: Ahead of EC's announcement on Karnataka polls, BJP, Cong tweet date

In a letter to the EC, Malviya said an English news channel had reported the poll date at 11:06 am and he tweeted about it at 11:08 am.

He also stated that a Karnataka Congress functionary also tweeted about the poll dates exactly at the same time. He also submitted screen shots of the news channel report, his tweet and the Congress leader's tweet and their timings to make his case.

Even as Rawat was in the midst of his conference and had not announced the election schedule, both the BJP and Congress functionaries tweeted that the polls would be held on May 12 and the counting of votes would be on May 18.

The counting date turned out to be wrong as the EC announced that the votes will be counted on May 15.

Also read: Karnataka to vote on May 12, result May 15; row over 'leaked' dates

The Congress latched onto the issue and dubbed the BJP "Super Election Commission". It also demanded action against the BJP.