Rupani slams Chidambaram over EC remarks; says Cong scared of

Image
Press Trust of India Ahmedabad
Last Updated : Oct 20 2017 | 9:28 PM IST
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today hit out at Congress leader P Chidambaram for his criticism of the Election Commission and said the Opposition party is "scared" of the upcoming polls in the BJP-ruled state.
Chidambaram, the former finance minister, has said that by not announcing the Gujarat poll schedule, the Election Commission (EC) has "authorised" Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare the dates at his last rally, after all "freebies" for the state have been doled out.
Speaking to reporters in Gandhinagar, Rupani said, "Chidambaramji and the Congress are scared of the upcoming (state assembly) elections.
"We believe elections should happen on due time, and it will happen so. But they are scared due to their desperation. And criticising the Election Commission is not the right thing in a democracy."
Chidambaram had tweeted, "EC will be recalled from its extended holiday after Gujarat Government has announced all concessions and freebies."
The EC had on October 12 announced that polling for the Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh will take place on November 9, but had not declared the Gujarat poll schedule.
Rupani had earlier also countered Congress' allegations that the government was putting "pressure" on the poll panel to "delay" the announcement of Gujarat poll schedule.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Oct 20 2017 | 9:28 PM IST

Next Story