Is EC waiting for PM's travel programs to conclude before announcing Lok Sabha poll dates, asks Ahmed Patel

Ahmed Patel claimed the Election Commission is giving the Narendra Modi government a "long rope to campaign till the last moment using public money".

Congress leader Ahmed Patel. PTI Photo

Ahmed Patel has criticised the Election Commission for not announcing dates for the Lok Sabha elections.

It seems that EC is giving the government a long rope to campaign till the last moment using public money, he said.

The EC had made it clear last week that ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan will have no bearing on the upcoming general elections.

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Ahmed Patel on Monday criticised the Election Commission for not announcing dates for the Lok Sabha elections, due in April-May. He claimed the poll panel is giving the Narendra Modi government a "long rope to campaign till the last moment using public money". "Is the Election Commission waiting for the Prime Minister’s "official" travel programs to conclude before announcing dates for General Elections? "Using govt functions as an excuse for political rallies, flooding TV/radio and print with political ads, It is seems that EC is giving the government a long rope to campaign till the last moment using public money (sic)," Patel tweeted.

Is the Election Commission waiting for the Prime Minister’s “official” travel programs to conclude before announcing dates for General Elections?

— Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) March 4, 2019

Narendra Modi is on a two-day visit to his home state Gujarat during which he will unveil a host of projects, including the first phase of the Ahmedabad metro service. Meanwhile, the EC had made it clear last week that ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan will have no bearing on the upcoming general elections. On whether the polls would be postponed in the wake of the situation that has arisen following the February 14 Pulwama attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir and the subsequent IAF strike to destroy Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camps in Pakistan's Balakot, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora had said, "the elections will be held on time." Replying to a question on the possible notification of the Lok Sabha poll dates, Arora said the media and the country would come to know of it through the "usual press conference", as per the norm. Arora said as per a new notification of the commission, candidates will have to give details of their properties abroad, besides those in the country. "The I-T department will look into it and, if any, discrepancies are found then it will be uploaded on the Election Commission (EC) website and strict action will be initiated," the CEC said.

Published at : 04 Mar 2019 05:58 PM (IST)

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