Facing charges of violating the election code of conduct (ECC) and the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA), an FIR was lodged against four BJP leaders - state incharge Sushma Swaraj, former CM Arjun Munda, former MP Ramtahal Choudhary and the party's Saraikela district president Shailendra Singh at Chandil police station in Saraikela-Kharsawan district by the district administration on Thursday evening.

As per the ECC, the district authorities had passed orders against any organiser using vehicle without permission granted by them. But these BJP leaders allegedly used six vehicles without securing an approval by the officials.

Also, a vehicle was allegedly converted into a 'Rath', thereby violating the MVA, according to which no change in any form is allowed to be made in any vehicle without obtaining prior clearance from the district transport officer (DTO), said the FIR lodged against them at Chandil police station.

The police has taken cognizance of the FIR under 171 Section of the state's Motor Vehicle Act, a bailable offence. "Since the form of the vehicle had been altered without prior approval of the DTO, we had to enforce the law", said Saraikela-Kharsawan Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Kumar Sharma.

A part of Saraikela-Kharsawn including Chandil falls in Jamshedpur Lok sabha constituency where Munda is the BJP's candidate. To mobilise support for him the 'Rath' was pressed into service even before Swaraj, Choudhary, Singh and BJP's president Rajnath Singh addressed election meetings on Thursday.

Reacting to the move by the Saraikela-Kharsawan district administration, BJP's state unit spokesperson Sanjay Seth said: "We will take appropriate legal remedy to deal with the charges slapped on our leaders."