Hyderabad: The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) on Friday approached the Telangana State Election Commission, seeking action against Dharmapuri Arvind for allegedly appealing to voters on religious and caste considerations.

In a complaint submitted to the Election Commission’s coordination committee, the Congress accused the Nizamabad MP of delivering a speech that, according to it, violated the Model Code of Conduct. The TPCC said the remarks were made during a public address in Nizamabad on February 5 and amounted to seeking votes on communal lines. While a video link of the speech was initially submitted as evidence, the party said it was later removed, prompting them to provide a transcript of the comments instead.

The Congress alleged that the statements run contrary to election laws and urged the poll panel to initiate appropriate proceedings. The complaint comes amid heightened political tensions ahead of the municipal elections, with parties closely scrutinising campaign rhetoric.

Arvind has courted controversy earlier as well, drawing criticism over remarks related to the renaming of Nizamabad and past campaign statements, which the Congress has cited to argue a pattern of provocative speech.

Analysis: As civic polls near, complaints over campaign language underline how sensitive electoral discourse has become in Telangana. How swiftly the Election Commission responds may set the tone for enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct in the final stretch of campaigning. This assessment reflects analytical opinion; all factual details above are drawn from the original content.