Mayawati's poll rally in Gujarat cancelled after EC order

A poll rally of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati scheduled here Wednesday stood cancelled following the Election Commission (EC) order barring her from campaigning for 48 hours starting 6 am Tuesday.

Mayawati was scheduled to address her first election rally in Gujarat for the 2019 polls at Kankaria Ground here Wednesday and preparations for the event were on in full swing.

However, the party has been forced to call it off in the wake of the order passed by the poll panel.

"Behen Mayawatiji was scheduled to address an election rally in Gujarat on April 17. It has been cancelled after the Election Commission order.

"We will see if the public meeting is rescheduled, but for now it stands cancelled," said Gujarat BSP secretary Pradeep Parmar.

The BSP has fielded its candidates on all the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat which will have a single phase polling on April 23.

The EC Monday "censured" Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Mayawati for their communal remarks and barred them from campaigning for 72 and 48 hours, respectively.

The EC order came soon after the Supreme Court took note of the communal remarks made by Mayawati and Adityanath during their Lok Sabha poll campaigns.