New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI) questioning its issuance of a show-cause notice to party president Mallikarjun Kharge, while maintaining silence complete silence on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s partisan address or Home Minister’s “quid pro quo” promise in West Bengal seeking votes in exchange for cash benefits.In a five-page letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with his two “companion” Election Commissioners, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh flagged that they received two notices with the same complaint number and the same date, April 22, but signed by different officials.“If one of the notices was withdrawn, there is no mention of it in either of the notices,” he said.Ramesh highlighted further discrepancies, stating that one of the notices even mentions the so-called violation of the model code of conduct based on a complaint by Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien, whereas the other “has strangely dropped his name as the complainant”.“This indicates the casual and routine manner in which the Commission is issuing show cause notices merely on the basis of ruling party’s complainants’ versions and without any application of mind and by giving a time of mere 24 hours to file responses,” Ramesh said.Regarding the notice to Kharge, the Congress leader expressed surprise over the short time – 24 hours – given to reply to the charges levelled, given that the Congress president is in the middle of election campaigns.“It almost seems the CEC is executing the Notice as a formality rather than as an act in discharge of natural justice,” Ramesh wrote, seeking one-week’s time to file a detailed response.He also brought up Modi’s address to the nation on April 18, a day after his government’s efforts to operationalise women’s reservation through a contentious plan to expand the Lok Sabha and enter into a delimitation process was defeated in the lower house.“Aside from the PM’s unsuccessful attempt to camouflage that as a defeat for Women’s Reservation, it was more importantly, a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. This is amply evident from his numerous attacks on the Indian National Congress by name including where he accused the Congress of foeticide,” he said, adding that everyone watching – including the PM himself – was clear that it was a “political attack” amid assembly elections.Further, the letter also referred to Union home minister Amit Shah’s statement, with a screenshot from BJP’s X handle, which Ramesh described as a “quid pro quo” promise seeking votes in exchange for cash benefits. “This is a prime example of quid pro quo; you give me your vote, and I will give you XYZ benefit. This is not a policy pronouncement. It is a clear promise of exchange and thus hit by the language of Section 123 of the Representation of People Act, 1951,” the Congress leader said.He alleged that Shah’s remarks should fall under provisions relating to bribery and undue influence under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, but that both Modi and Shah’s remarks “seemed to have escaped this Commission’s attention which seems ever vigilant to slights against the above, from the Opposition”. These are clear violations of election law which should have attracted the suo moto attention of the ECI, he said. He also noted how there have been numerous instances in the past where the party has filed complaints against the PM and the HM and no action was taken by the poll body.Ramesh said that Kharge’s comments were taken out of context and that a clarification was already available in the public domain. “It almost seems that an attempt is being made to deliberately overlook the clear and unequivocal explanation about the context in which the words were uttered, so as to find some way to take action against the Congress president. Unfortunately, it smacks of ulterior motives,” he said.He also objected to the language of ECI’s notice itself terming it a ‘threat’ to take action, without due consideration, and reiterated the Congress’ demand for an extension to file a detailed reply on law and a hearing. Ramesh had earlier condemned the ECI’s notice in a post on X, saying the poll body’s “behaviour is an assault on the Constitution and a disgrace for which this CEC bears the heaviest responsibility”.“That the Election Commission dances to the tune of the PM and HM has been obvious for some time. After masterminding vote chori in very many lakhs – especially in West Bengal – today it has given fresh evidence of its functioning as an attached office of the Home Ministry,” he had said.