The 2026 assembly election campaign cycle has been marked by a sustained and sharply contested battle between the BJP and the Left-Congress combine over the use of religious and communal arguments in political messaging, with formal complaints filed before the Election Commission of India and cases pending in the courts over alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct.
The BJP has consistently framed its electoral positioning in several contested states around issues of infiltration and border security. In states including Jharkhand and Bihar, senior BJP leaders including Shivraj Singh Chouhan have alleged that illegal immigrants are compromising the safety and resources of indigenous communities, according to the research documents. Home Minister Amit Shah, at the India Today Conclave on March 13-14, reiterated the government’s stated policy of “detect, delete, and deport” with regard to infiltrators, asserting that no infiltrator would be allowed to vote in India, according to India Today coverage of the event.
The Formal Complaints
The Citizens for Justice and Peace filed formal complaints before the Election Commission against two BJP leaders for speeches described as inflammatory ahead of state polls, alleging the content deviated from substantive issues of healthcare and employment into territory the organisation characterised as inciting communal sentiment, according to CJP’s own published documentation cited in the research documents. The Election Commission’s response to these complaints had not been made public as of the date of this report.
Prime Minister Modi, at the same conclave, accused the opposition of “advocating for infiltrators” and characterised criticism of his government as politically motivated, according to India Today. Congress and Left leaders have described the BJP’s framing as a “smokescreen” for governance failures, including unemployment and inflation, according to the research documents. The rhetorical exchange reflects a broader structural feature of the 2026 campaign: the BJP’s attempt to define the election on security and identity terrain, and the opposition’s attempt to redirect it toward economic and administrative performance.
