Cong attacks EC over delay in Gujarat election dates
Chidambaram slams poll panel over delay, says dates will be revealed once the BJPrun govt completes announcing sops
NEW DELHI: A week after the Gujarat government announced more than ₹12,000 crore sops in the poll-bound state, the Congress on Friday hit out at the poll panel over the delay in the announcement of the poll dates.
Former finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said the Election Commission (EC) “authorised” Modi to declare the dates at his last rally after all “freebies” for the state were doled out. The BJP, however, hit back at the Congress and brushed aside the allegations as baseless.
The poll panel had announced on October 12 the dates for Himachal Pradesh assembly polls, but the schedule for Gujarat was not announced.
The BJP held successive rallies in the state where Modi and Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani inaugurated projects worth crores.
“EC has authorised PM to announce date of Gujarat elections at his last rally (and kindly keep EC informed),” Chidambaram tweeted.
Chidambaram also taunted that the EC would be “recalled” from its “extended holiday” after the Gujarat government has announced all “concessions and freebies”. The Congress also alleged that it was due to the government pressure that the EC did not announce the poll schedule for Gujarat.
Hitting back at the Congress, BJP leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said allegations were baseless. “It’s like questioning the prudence of the EC. The Congress is perhaps speaking out of its own experience where interference in the functioning of constitutional bodies used to be a thing in their rule. Such is not the case since 2014,” law minister Prasad said countering the Congress’ allegations.
“Let me also add, this tells that they are jittery about BJP’s prospects in the state,” he added.
It’s like questioning the prudence of the EC. The Congress is perhaps speaking out of its own experience where interference in the functioning of constitutional bodies used to be a thing in their rule. RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD, union minister