India's opposition said Thursday that the government's freezing of its bank accounts has left it with no money to fight the heavily funded ruling party in marathon general elections that begin next month.

Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi said the party’s entire financial identity was erased, stressing that the ability to contest elections has been damaged.

Several of the party's bank accounts were frozen in February because of the alleged late filing of tax returns.

The congress claimed the tax department's sanctions are politically motivated, in order to hobble it from mounting a challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Gandhi told reporters in New Delhi that another notice was received from the tax authorities, which dates back to the party’s filings from 1995-96.