New Delhi: Former finance minister P. Chidambaram on Friday targeted the Election Commission in a series of tweets over its delay in announcing the Gujarat election dates, and said: “EC has authorised PM to announce date of Gujarat elections at his last rally (and kindly keep EC informed).”
Mr Chidambaram also claimed the commission will be “recalled” from its “extended holiday” after the Gujarat government has announced all “concessions and freebies”. Speaking to reporters in Gandhinagar, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said, “Chidambaramji and the Congress are scared of the coming (Assembly) elections. We believe the elections should happen in 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.”
Hitting back at the Congress for targeting the EC, BJP leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the allegations levelled against the constitutional body were without any basis. He said, “It is absolutely absurd. It’s like questioning the prudence of the EC. The Congress is perhaps speaking out of its own experience where interference in the functioning of constitutional bodies used to be a thing in their rule. Such is not the case since 2014.”
The BJP said Mr Chidambaram’s criticism of the EC was part of the party’s “save Rahul” campaign as it fears a defeat in the election will stall his elevation to party chief. BJP spokesman G.V.L. Narsimha Rao said, “Chidambaram seems to view the EC from his jaundiced eyes. Sonia Gandhi, as an extra-constitutional authority, had subverted institutions and remote-controlled PM Manmohan Singh.”
