1. Home
2. India

Days after Congress alleged Election Commission helping BJP, Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani says poll panel helped Congress in 2012

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 10/16/2017 11:59:49 AM

THE ELECTION Commission (EC) got caught in a political slugfest on Sunday with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani accusing the poll panel of acting at the behest of the Congress ahead of the last state elections in 2012.
Rejecting the charge, V S Sampath, who oversaw the conduct of the Gujarat polls as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) in 2012, called Rupani’s remark “unfair” and “uncharitable”.
According to a PTI report, Rupani, who was speaking at an event organised by India TV news channel in Ahmedabad, said: “In 2012 (Assembly elections), the Election Commission ensured, at the behest of the Congress, that the model code of conduct was in force for a record time to prevent (Narendra) Modiji from working, because of which the state government could not take up development work.”
In 2012, Sampath had simultaneously announced polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh on October 3. The model code of conduct, at that time, was in force for 83 days. Nasim Zaidi and H S Brahma were his colleagues in the Election Commission then.
Defending the poll panel’s decision, Sampath told The Indian Express on Sunday: “The Election Commission follows the highest traditions of independence and has never compromised in its constitutional duties. It’s very unfair and uncharitable to make such a remark after a lapse of five years from the last election.”
Brahma, too, denied that the EC had acted under any influence in 2012. “Yes, the model code of conduct period was long, but it’s wrong to say that we acted under some party’s influence.” Zaidi declined to comment on the matter.