Allegations against EC over Gujarat poll deferment without basis: BJP

Hitting back at the Congress for targeting the EC for deferring announcement of the Gujarat polls, the BJP on Friday said that allegations levelled against the constitutional body were without any basis.

"Let us fight properly in Gujarat if you have any issues. By miscellaneous ways the question is being raised on Election Commission, CAG and even Supreme Court. These uncalled for reflections upon constitutional bodies are without any basis," Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.

He was reacting to the accusations by the Congress that the Centre was exerting pressure on the Election Commission to defer announcement of the Gujarat Assembly polls so that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could visit the state early next week to announce "sops and jumlas".

Prasad, a senior BJP leader, said that in 2007 the first phase of Gujarat elections were held on November 21 while in Himachal Pradesh the respective date was October 20. In 2012, the first phase of Gujarat elections were held on November 17 while in Himachal elections were held on October 10.

"I don't need to say who was in the power in 2007 and 2012," he said.

--IANS

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