Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has been booked for allegedly carrying out a false campaign against Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, PTI reported on Sunday.

The case was registered on April 15 on a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party leader JR Padmakumar, who accused Tharoor of making defamatory statements against Chandrasekhar during a television programme.

Tharoor will contest against Chandrasekhar in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram constituency on April 26.

Padmakumar has alleged that Tharoor accused Chandrasekhar of influencing voters in coastal regions during the general elections, according to PTI.

The Congress MP was booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 171-G and 500 section 65 of the Information Technology Act.

Section 171-G of the IPC pertains to making false statements in connection with elections while Section 500 deals with punishment for defamation.

Earlier this month, Tharoor claimed in an interview that he had received information from various sources, including “certain important community leaders and parish priests” suggesting that the BJP was trying to influence voters with cash, The Hindu reported.

However, the Congress MP expressed doubts about whether those who have allegedly received the money will be willing to come forward with evidence. Tharoor also alleged that the BJP could have spent “20, 30 or even 100 times” the amount that the other candidates have spent on campaigning.

Following this, Chandrasekhar sent a legal notice to Tharoor, accusing the Congress MP of making defamatory statements against him.

“With his baseless allegation, he has also damaged the reputation of religious and community organisations in the [state] capital,” the BJP leader said in a social media post. “Rest assured, I will ensure that this slander is countered using all legal means. It’s disgraceful to see a three-time MP stooping to third-rate politics in his desperation.”

The BJP also complained to the Election Commission against the Congress MP.

On April 14, the poll body reprimanded Tharoor for allegedly making unverified allegations against Chandrasekhar.

Thiruvananthapuram Sub-Collector Aswathy Sreenivas, who is also the district’s nodal officer for the Model Code of Conduct, issued a “strict warning” to Tharoor and told him not to make unverified allegations in the future.