Election dates: ‘Is poll panel waiting for Modi’s travel programmes to get over?’ asks Ahmed Patel
The Congress MP said the Election Commission seemed to be giving the government a ‘long rope to campaign till the last moment’.
Congress MP Ahmed Patel on Monday asked if the Election Commission was waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s travel programmes to conclude before it announces dates for the Lok Sabha elections. The elections are expected in April and May but no dates have been announced yet.
Writing on Twitter, Patel took a jibe at Modi’s use of government events to target Opposition parties.
“Using government functions as an excuse for political rallies, flooding TV/radio and print with political ads,” Patel tweeted. “It seems that EC [Election Commission] is giving the government a long rope to campaign till the last moment using public money.”
On March 1, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said the General Elections will be held on time despite tensions between Pakistan and India. The term of the current Lok Sabha ends on June 3. The Election Commission had announced the dates of the previous Lok Sabha elections in the first week of March 2014.
Once the Election Commission announces the election schedule, the model code of conduct comes into effect.
Using govt functions as an excuse for political rallies, flooding TV/radio and print with political ads,
— Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) March 4, 2019
It is seems that EC is giving the government a long rope to campaign till the last moment using public money