Congress MP calls poll schedule 'match-fixing', slams 'biased' ECI
Synopsis
Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat has accused the Election Commission of India of being 'very biased' towards the BJP. He called the announcement of West Bengal poll dates, a day after PM Modi's visit, 'match-fixing' and a 'planned' move.
Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat on Monday slammed the Election Commission of India, stating that it is very biased towards the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), outlining that the election schedule was announced the very next day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced development projects in West Bengal. "The Election Commission of India is acting in a very biased manner. PM Modi dedicates development projects in West Bengal, and the very next day, the dates of the state elections are announced; this is match-fixing," he said.
'Done in a planned manner'
Speaking to ANI, he attacked the centre saying that it operates in a very planned manner. He said that the Government speaks of 'one nation one election' but has kept the polling dates and the day of the result for the four states very far from each other in the upcoming Assembly elections. "The Government speaks of one nation one election, but the polling for the four states and the result day are kept far from each other. So, don't you think this all is being done in a very planned manner? The more they delay, the more the result favours the BJP. You can check previous records. Due to all this, people can't trust them," he added.
Assembly Election Schedule
The remarks follow the announcement of the election schedule for Assembly elections in four states--West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Assam--along with the Union Territory of Puducherry by the Election Commission on Sunday.
According to the schedule, polling in West Bengal will be conducted in two phases on April 23 and April 29. Kerala and Assam will vote in a single phase on April 9, while Tamil Nadu will go to the polls on April 23. Voting in Puducherry will also take place on April 9. The counting of votes for all four states and Puducherry will be held on May 4, the ECI announced.
The terms of the current assemblies are set to end on different dates: May 7 in West Bengal, May 10 in Tamil Nadu, May 20 in Assam, May 23 in Kerala, and June 15 in Puducherry.
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