Cong, oppn slam EC "inaction" in alleged poll code violation

Opposition parties today hit out at the Election Commission for alleged "inaction" over the alleged poll code violation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarat with the Congress accusing it of acting like a "captive puppet" of the BJP.
Leaders of the Congress and other opposition parties also alleged that the Election Commission(EC) failed to uphold its constitutional mandate.
At the heart of the row was the objections raised by the Congress to what it called a "roadshow" by the prime minister when he greeted the crowd outside the polling booth in Ranip area in Ahmedabad after he cast his vote.

The BJP in a vigorous response to the Congress charge said it was looking for excuses before its "impending defeat" in the Gujarat Assembly polls for which the final phase of voting ended today.
A BJP delegation, which included Cabinet ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi among others, met the Election Commission to refute the charges levelled by the Congress against the prime minister and other leaders.
Nikunj Balar, convener of the Congress's legal cell, said the party lodged a complaint with the Election Commission and the Chief Electoral Officer of Gujarat against Modi's "roadshow". A separate complaint was also submitted to the Ranip police, he said.

In response to the Congress's complaint, Chief Electoral Officer of Gujarat, B B Swain, said an inquiry has been ordered to probe whether there was any violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The complaint was more "anticipatory in nature", he added.

"We have received a complaint regarding MCC violation after casting of vote (by Modi). It was more anticipatory in nature. It said there is a huge crowd (outside the polling booth) and it could turn into a roadshow," Swain said.
"We have handed over the inquiry to the Ahmedabad district election officer (the district collector). Since our MCC team was also present at the booth, they will also give their report. They (the collector and MCC team) are now finalising their overall inquiry report," Swain said.

Modi, arriving outside the poll booth set up inside Nishan High School in Ranip area, which is part of Sabarmati constituency, first greeted his elder brother Somabhai Modi by bowing down. Somabhai Modi lives in the same area.
Then the prime minister stood in the queue to cast his vote. He was seen speaking to other voters while awaiting his turn.
After casting the vote, he showed his inked finger to thousands of supporters who had gathered outside and were chanting "Modi...Modi".
The prime minister walked some distance to greet the people standing on both sides of the road. Then he stood on the footboard of his car and waved to the crowd.

Opposition leaders, including those from the Congress, NCP, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Samajwadi Party (SP), RJD, National Conference and the Left parties, during a meeting on the eve of the winter session of Parliament referred to the alleged model code violation by the prime minister.
It was "indeed shocking" that the Election Commission had failed to uphold its constitutional mandate, the leaders said in a statement released after their meeting in Delhi, accusing the poll body of inaction.
Instead of taking action for violations, the poll panel had allowed violations by the ruling party.
The Election Commission had been indulgent in allowing the prime minister to dedicate a submarine on the day of the poll, the statement read.

"This attitude of the EC has cast ominous shadow on the credibility of the EC and the integrity of the electoral process," the leaders said.
In a no-holds-barred attack on Chief Election Commissioner A K Joti, the Congress alleged he was behaving like Modi's principal secretary and said the poll body had prostrated itself before the government.
Addressing a joint press conference in Delhi, Congress general secretary in charge of Gujarat Ashok Gehlot and communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala alleged that a "desperate prime minister facing defeat in Gujarat" held a roadshow with BJP flags and flouted the Constitution and the poll code.

The EC was acting like a frontal organisation of the BJP and had abdicated its constitutional responsibility by not moving against Modi, they said.
"The Election Commission has become a captive puppet of Narendra Modi and the BJP. Unfortunately, the Chief Election Commissioner has abdicated his Constitutional responsibility," Surjewala said.
"It is a sad letter day for India. The Election Commission of India has denigrated the Constitution and abdicated its responsibility," he added.
Though the BJP delegation members did not speak to the media on record about their meeting with the Election Commission, sources said they accused the Congress of misleading the EC and called its attack unfortunate in a memorandum submitted to the poll watchdog.

BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao also launched a sharp attack on the Congress, saying its "dynastic arrogance" was on display in its attack on the EC.