By Anirudh Singla
As the second and the final phase of the 2017 Gujarat elections which covered 93 seats in Gujarat wrapped up, an estimated 68.70 percent polling was recorded. With the Gujarat elections providing insight about BJPs bankability on the Modi factor and the rise of Rahul Gandhi as an alternative to Narendra Modi, these state elections have been embroiled in a lot of controversies.
On Thursday, came another war of words being led by Congress for Prime Minister Narendra Modis roadshow after he had cast his vote at a polling booth in Sabarmati. Modi, after casting his vote, held up his inked finger and proceeded to greet the crowd while the car trod slowly for some distance.
Congressmen lash out on Twitter
With the Congress describing the proceedings of this event as a flagrant violation of the model code of conduct in elections, it attacked the EC and the BJP in all its fury. Senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram in a barrage of tweets was quoted saying, Allowing a roadshow of PM on voting day is a gross violation of the code of conduct. It is an election campaign. What is the EC doing? The images on TV will leave no one in doubt that the BJP and PM have conducted a full-fledged campaign on polling day. Shocking violation of Rules. EC is sleeping on the job.
Ranting on an unprecedented level, Chidambaram also stated, Let the media look at the images on the TV screens, search its conscience and reach a conclusion. There has not been a more blatant violation of the code of conduct on polling day.
The EC point of view
The EC was also attacked as the Congress described its behaviour as one which is saving the sinking ship of Prime Minister Narendra Modis campaign. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala in a press conference in New Delhi said, The Election Commission of India has set different standards for the BJP and the Congress. What is the reason for the poll panel to behave like a frontal organization of BJP? It is a great shame that PM Narendra Modi has turned all constitutional institutions into his puppets, the Election Commission of India being one of them. The Gujarat elections will not be decided by photo-ops and road shows. It will be decided on progress and issues related to development.
From the Election Commissions side, the responses set-up have been FIRs against TV channels that have aired the interviews pertaining to this matter. The EC has cited rules and regulations in which there is explicit citing of the prohibition of any display of election matter within 48 hours of the start of the polling. Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer BB Swain has firmly said that the electoral panel will look into this complaint and get back.
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