New Delhi, May 19: The election year is round the corner and the BJP has begun gathering ammo to attack its favourite target — Sonia Gandhi.

As the Congress-led government enters its last year in office on May 22, the main Opposition party has warned that using Sonia’s pictures in newspapers advertisements and other official publicity material could land it in trouble.

Although Sonia’s photographs are invariably used by every ministry in its advertisements, the BJP initially ignored it because she held the post of chairman of the National Advisory Council.

This was a government body constituted to work as an interface between civil society and the ruling establishment.

BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad agreed that her involvement with the NAC was a reason to justify the use of her photograph in official material. But Sonia relinquished the post after the office-of-profit controversy in 2006.

The BJP feels the Election Commission can be asked to look into the matter now as the last year is treated as the “election year.”

The Opposition has not revealed its cards yet but Prasad said his party “will exercise” its “options” if the government persisted with the practice.

“Misuse of government machinery and resources for political gains has been a part of the corrupt political culture of the Congress,” Prasad said.

“Sonia Gandhi is described in official advertisements as chairperson of the UPA. This is a not a government office, but a political title that confers no entitlement or legitimacy for being featured in media advertisements which are paid for by the government.”