Congress complains to EC against Harish Rao for violating silence period
HYDERABAD: The Congress party has lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that Harish Rao, a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA, violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and the silence period in the run up to the Jubilee Hills Assembly byelection.
In a letter dated November 10, 2025, addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the Congress leaders from the Jubilee Hills constituency claimed that Harish Rao sent bulk voice messages and made conference calls to police personnel and their families residing in the Telangana State Police Academy (TSPA) 1st Battalion quarters at Yousufguda within 48 hours of polling.
According to the complaint, the alleged calls and messages were aimed at influencing police employees, who are also registered voters in the Jubilee Hills Police Battalion area.
Violation of MCC and Representation of People Act alleged
The Congress leaders cited violations of:
Model Code of Conduct (MCC) – which prohibits any form of campaigning or communication intended to influence voters within 48 hours of polling;
Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 – which bans election related communication that may affect fairness during the silence period.
The complaint, signed by P. Rajesh Kumar (Chairman), G. Raghavender (Member) and Dr. Lingam Yadav (Member), urged the ECI to take immediate action against Harish Rao.
The letter also mentioned that an audio clip of Harish Rao’s alleged voice message was enclosed with the submission as evidence.
