Hyderabad: Hyderabad In-charge Minister Ponnam Prabhakar accused Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar of violating poll code through his provocative statements in the run-up to the Hyderabad local body MLC polls. Ponnam said he will be filing a formal complaint with EC in this regard.

Speaking to media persons at Gandhi Bhavan, Ponnam strongly condemned Bandi Sanjay’s statements where he appealed to the supporters of ‘Hindutva to vote for BJP.’

Describing this as a direct attempt to polarise voters on religious lines, he warned that his party will file a formal complaint with the Election Commission, demanding immediate action. He felt that the BJP’s rhetoric was dangerous and undermined the democratic and secular ethos of the Constitution.

He pointed out that the Hyderabad local body MLC constituency comprises only 112 votes, and no single party other than MIM (with 50 votes) holds a clear majority. “BJP and BRS each have only 24 votes, and Congress has 14. With BRS boycotting the election, BJP’s campaign based on religious identity is not just misleading but also futile,” he pointed out.