EC must reply how BJP got to know about K'taka poll date: CPI

The CPI today took strong exception to the BJP's IT cell chief tweeting the date of the Karnataka Assembly election even before the Election Commission announced it, saying the poll panel should answer how he got to know about it.

"It is a huge embarrassment for the Election Commission. The EC should answer how he got to know about the date. How can such a thing happen and the BJP announces the date when only the EC has the mandate to conduct free and fair polls," party National Secretary D Raja said here.

"I hope that our democracy is not so weak, otherwise the BJP will start announcing the election results also," he said.

Observing that "many questions are being raised" about the EC, he said questions were raised when polls to Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, slated around the same time, were announced separately.

"The courts also indicted the poll panel on the issue of disqualification of the 20 Aam Aadmi Party members (on grounds of holding office-of-profit)," Raja said.

Separately, the Congress also dubbed the BJP "Super Election Commission" on the issue.