The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday urged the Election Commission to issue directions to either remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photographs from government offices in Gujarat or cover them till the Assembly elections are over, PTI reported.

Puneet Juneja, the general secretary of the party’s legal cell, made the demand in a representation to the poll panel.

The Aam Aadmi Party said that Modi is among the star campaigners of the Bharatiya Janata Party and his photographs in Central and state government offices in Gujarat violate the model code of conduct.

“The effect of the photographs of the star campaigner of a political party in the government offices can have an influence on the elections, and therefore, the said directions may be immediately passed in the interest of free and fair elections in the state,” the party said.

Assembly elections in Gujarat will be held in two phases on December 1 and December 5. The votes will be counted on December 8 along with the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.

The BJP is seeking a seventh straight term, while the Aam Aadmi Party is looking to replace the Congress as the main challenger to the saffron party in the state.

Both the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party have announced candidates for 178 out of 182 seats. The BJP has said that incumbent Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will remain in the post if it wins the election, while the Aam Aadmi Party has named journalist-turned-politician Isudan Gadhvi as its candidate for the top post.