No one has a right to question Election Commission: PM Modi hits out at Congress

Vadodara, October 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in response to the Opposition's criticism of the Election Commission, said that no one has a right to question the integrity of the poll body. After the poll body chose not to announce the Gujarat polls schedule, Congress accused the institute of being PM Modi's puppets.

On October 12, the EC had announced Assembly poll schedule for Himachal Pradesh but did not announce the dates for Gujarat, only saying that it would go to the polls before December 18.

This has been questioned by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, senior leader P Chidambaram and some others in the Congress party.

“Some of opposition is worried why Modi is coming to Gujarat after Diwali. They can’t say anything to me, so they are targeting the Election Commission,” the prime minister said and asked the gathering, “You tell me, should I not come to Vadodara?”

To hit out at the Congress, Modi referred to the recent Rajya Sabha polls from Gujarat in which Congress leader Ahmed Patel won by defeating BJP’s Balwant singh Rajput.

“In the recent election, votes were counted and TV channels were showing who is the victor, but they did something after which a recount took place in which they won,” PM Modi said.

“Those who won in the recount are now asking the Election Commission why Modi is going to Gujarat. They do not have any moral right to ask this question to the Election Commission,” he said.

The Congress has alleged that the NDA government had pressurised the EC to delay the announcement of Gujarat election schedule, so that the prime minister could offer sops to his home state before the model code of conduct came into force.