NCP slams Election Commission for not declaring dates in Gujarat

The National Communist Party (NCP) on Tuesday slammed the election commission for not announcing the dates for the Gujarat assembly polls.

"I don't think that the Chief Election Commissioner was expected to say that there is pressure. It is absolutely ridiculous to expect that he would say that he working under pressure. He is bound to say so because he is part of it. He is equally guilty of succumbing to pressure and we have been finding day-in, day-out now that why Gujarat schedule is being differed. Every day is important. You have no justifiable reason. You say Diwali, or flood; all these are excuses which appear lame," said Majid Memon.

"Everyday some of the gifts, incentives are being announced by the Centre because it is having great interest in Gujarat. Prime Minister is from Gujarat and therefore the election commission is deemed to be under pressure," Memon added.

Achal Kumar Joti, the Chief Election Commissioner, had, on Monday, rejected the opposition's charge that the country's top election body was working under the pressure of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

"No, I am not under any sort of pressure. The opposition can only question us if we stop them from campaigning. The opportunities are equal for all. All parties make poll promises, even the opposition parties are promising lot of things we are not stopping anybody," Joti said.

The opposition has been criticising the EC for not announcing the dates for the Gujarat Assembly elections since October 13, when it announced November 9 as the date for Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls.

Further questioning EC, another NCP leader Nawab Malik said, "Prime Minister Modi said he wants one nation, one election. All elections in the country should be at one time. The election commission has said they are ready for one nation one election in 2018, but the way Himachal dates are declared, still Gujarat dates are pending. It shows if you are in a position to take election of all assemblies in a parliament at one shot, you are not in a capacity to take election of Gujarat and Himachal together? Questions will be raised by the people."

"If they want to deny the allegation from the political parties, they have to declare election of Gujarat as soon as possible," he added.

The 14th legislative assembly polls in Gujarat are to be held by the end of 2017 as the term of 13th assembly ends on January 22, 2018.

Due to the ensuing assembly elections, Gujarat is witnessing high voltage political activities these days.

While the ruling BJP is leaving no stone unturned to retain power in Gujarat, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is heading his party's poll campaign in Gujarat, eyeing to dethrone the ruling BJP.

The last Congress government in Gujarat was led by Chhabildas Mehta from February 17, 1994 to March 13, 1995.