With the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) data revealing the BJP to be the number one on television in the run-up to assembly elections, the Congress on Friday demanded that the Election Commission take note of the data and asses the impact of BJP's advertisement spending on the ongoing polls in five states.
As per the BARC data, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) topped the rankings of advertisers across all TV channels for the week that ended on November 16, prompting the Congress to question its electoral funding.
"These advertisement spends by the BJP reflect a clear nexus between big businesses and big politicians... This is crony capitalism personified, this is the quintessential 'suit-boot ki sarkar'," Congress leader Manish Tewari told the media here citing the BARC data.
Slamming the Narendra Modi government for turning electoral funding "far more opaque" through the electoral bond schemes, the Congress demanded that the Election Commission intervene in the matter.
"The EC must summon this BARC data and need to find out how much money India's top advertiser (BJP) has spent on these advertisements.
"We demand the EC take suo-motu cognisance of the BARC data, translate it into monetary spends and see what is the impact on electoral process. The EC must take serious cognisance of its impact on the probity transparency and integrity of the electoral process," said the former Minister of Information and Broadcasting.
He also said the electoral bonds scheme has made political funding very opaque giving rise to crony capitalism.
"The ruling dispensation has access to source and final destination of the bonds which acts as deterrence for any company to try and fund an opposition party, especially when this government has unleashed central agencies on opposition parties and leaders, media houses or anyone who dares to oppose them," added Mr Tewari
BJP Plans Two-Day Organisational Meet, Focus On Next Round Of Assembly Polls Centre Rules Out Special Status For Bihar, Lalu Yadav's Party Takes A Swipe Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee Dissolved By Mallikarjun Kharge Budget 2024 LIVE: Nirmala Sitharaman's Mega Jobs, Tax Announcements In Union Budget "Call Security": Chief Justice Blasts Lawyer, He Quotes Bible In Reply No NEET Re-Exam, Supreme Court Says "Can't Conclude Sanctity Breached" Focus On Vande Bharat Not On Trains For Poor? What Railway Minister Said Child Rights Body Summons Netflix Over "Sexually Explicit Content" 9 Indian Fishermen Arrested For Allegedly Poaching In Sri Lankan Waters Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.