EC's silence on Gujarat election date is not good: Sharad Yadav

For the first time such a thing has happened, I don't think it is good: Rebel Janata Dal-United MP Sharad Yadav

Rebel Janata Dal-United MP Sharad Yadav on Saturday voiced concern over the Election Commission's decision to postpone announcement of the Gujarat poll date, saying it was "not a good thing" and would raise questions on the credibility of the poll panel.

Speaking to reporters here, the senior leader also hit out at the BJP for maintaining different standards for itself and opposition leaders over the controversy surrounding BJP President Amit Shah's son Jay.

On the delay by the Election Commission in announcing dates for the Gujarat election, he said: "For the first time such a thing has happened, I don't think it is good.

"People have reposed their faith in the Election Commission for long, and have trusted its credibility in testing times. Not announcing Gujarat election dates is not a good thing," he said.

Yadav said that "democracy is the driving force of our Constitution. And the Election Commission till date has maintained its credibility."

He said that earlier the Election Commission members would even in adverse circumstances maintain the neutrality of the poll panel and "act as an honest referral".

On the controversy over the massive spike in the turnover of Jay Shah's company after the NDA came to power in 2014, Yadav said: "Jay Shah is a Shah-zada, and we should speak less about them. People here are fond of Shah-zadas. They (BJP) have different standards and laws for the opposition, which are not implemented on their own party members."