PM put pressure on EC to delay press conference: Surjewala

Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "putting pressure" on the Election Commission (EC) to delay its press conference to announce poll dates in five states as he was scheduled to address a rally in Rajasthan.

The EC was set to hold a press conference at 12.30 pm Saturday to announce the dates of Assembly polls in five states, but had rescheduled it subsequently.

The five states where Assembly polls will be held in November-December are Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana.

"The EC's explanation for the delay is preposterous. Prime minister Narendra Modi is guilty of pressuring the EC to delay its press conference as he was scheduled to address a rally. The EC was made to wait for Modi's rally," Surjewala told reporters here.

However, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) O P Rawat said in Delhi that the press conference was delayed due to official work.

The prime minister addressed a public rally at Ajmer in poll-bound Rajasthan on Saturday.

"The EC was supposed to hold a press conference at 12.30 pm to announce the polls in five states. But, it was postponed to 3 pm," Surjewala had earlier said at the "India Today East Conclave" here.

The apparent reason could be to "facilitate Modi to deliver his speech at a rally at 1 pm in Rajasthan", he had said.

The Congress leader also said the people of the country were under attack from their own government and the economy was in doldrums with the rupee sliding every day.

On who will be the prime minister after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he said "the people will decide".

"But it will be a people's government and not be at war with the people," Surjewala added.