BJP running away from Guj polls, EC should declare schedule: Cong

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday demanded that elections in Gujarat be immediately declared and the model code of conduct enforced, saying the Election Commission should not be a party to what it called the BJP's attempt to "run away" from the assembly polls.

It alleged that the BJP was trying to delay Gujarat assembly polls for its last-minute efforts to woo the people of the state with sops announced by the prime minister.

"Why is the Election Commission becoming an unnecessary party to the BJP's attempt to run away from the elections?...Why is the EC becoming a party to it. The Election Commission has the constitutional responsibility and mandate. We demand that the Election Commission immediately declare elections in Gujarat, enforce the model code of conduct to stop all these allegations that sheer chicanery is taking place in Gujarat," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters.

Countering criticism over the Congress' remarks against the constitutional body, senior Congress spokesperson P Chidambaram said if citizens do not question the EC, what should they do. "And what should citizens do, pray to the EC?" Chidambaram tweeted.

"In Gujarat RS elections, Congress complained to EC before counting began. There was only one count, no recount. Ask EC (sic)," he said on the Gujarat Rajya Sabha poll. Tewari claimed the BJP is aware that it is difficult to repeat its government in Gujarat.

He alleged that the ruling party is "desperate" and is making every effort including use of muscle and money power and "street instrumentalities with prime minister virtually shifting the capital from Delhi to Gandhinagar, to somehow retain Gujarat".

Asked about the clarifications given by the EC on charges against it, Tewari said "what they have articulated is not rocket science".

"But the fundamental question is that why has the Election Commission digressed from the time honoured convention that elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat are held simultaneously.

"Why have the election dates in Gujarat not been declared. Why has the model code not been enforced," he said.

The Congress leader said given the developments that are taking place, it is clear that the BJP is on a "sticky wicket" and is "running away" from elections. "They are trying their best to delay the elections as much as possible so that the prime minister can dole out as many as dollops of sops as they can in that short time. Why does the election commission become a party to that process," Tewari said.

New Delhi: The AAP on Monday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into allegations that the BJP offered Rs 1 crore to a Patidar leader in Gujarat to switch loyalties.

AAP national spokesperson Ashutosh said that the BJP tries to "poach" leaders from other parties by using money or muscle power before every election.

"This is the real face of the BJP," he stressed, claiming that similar attempts involving AAP leaders were made in the past in Delhi.

Ashutosh said the public mood was "shifting" in the country but the BJP was sticking to its "old tactics of resorting to money or threats" in its "desperation" to win Gujarat.

"The AAP demands a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the issue as we do not trust the CBI or any other agency. Even the Congress had not misused the CBI to this extent. Also, an FIR should be lodged against the Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani," he said.

Narendra Patel, a leader of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), has levelled the charge, which has been rubbished by the BJP.

Ahmedabad: A leader of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) has claimed the BJP offered him Rs 1 crore to switch loyalties, a charge rubbished by Gujarat's ruling party.

North Gujarat PAAS convener Narendra Patel's allegation on Sunday was followed on Monday by another PAAS member, Nikhil Savani, resigning from the party, a few months after he joined it, on grounds that it did not keep its promise to accept the Patidar community's demands.

In a dramatic turn of events, Narendra Patel had announced in the presence of state BJP chief Jitu Vaghani last evening that he was joining the party. At about 10.30 pm, a couple of hours later, he called a press conference to allege that he was offered Rs 1 crore to go to the ruling party but would never betray his community.

Reacting to the allegations, the BJP claimed it was a "drama" staged at the behest of the Congress.

"All these allegations are false. It was a drama (enacted) by Narendra Patel at the behest of Congress. He voluntarily came to us to join the BJP and then took a u-turn within hours. It proves that everything was pre-planned," Gujarat BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said on Monday.

At the press conference, Narendra Patel showed Rs 10 lakh cash to mediapersons, claiming it was given to him as "advance" by former PAAS leader Varun Patel, who had joined the BJP on Saturday.

He alleged that the "entire deal was brokered by Varun".

"He told me that I will get Rs 1 crore. After meeting Vaghani at his house, I was taken to the state BJP headquarters on Sunday night where I was given Rs 10 lakh as advance by Varun. I was told that I will get the remaining Rs 90 lakh on Monday during a BJP function," Patel alleged.

He said he followed Varun's instruction and joined the BJP just to "expose" the party. "I can never betray my community. The BJP can't buy me and my loyalty for the Patidar community," he said.

Narendra Patel's accusations came a day after two of Hardik Patel's key aides - Varun Patel and Reshma Patel - joined the BJP, alleging that the quota agitation spearhead had become a "Congress agent" and was trying to use it to overthrow the present state government.

Savani, also a PAAS convener, aired his grievances with the BJP. "When I joined BJP they promised me that they will resolve all the issues of the Patel community. But they had only made tall promises," Savani said. "Now they are trying to break the PAAS movement by offering money to its leaders," Savani alleged, referring to Varun Patel and Reshma Patel joining the BJP.

Varun Patel and Reshma Patel were among the prominent faces of the Hardik Patel-led PAAS and were critical of the ruling BJP during the agitation. They joined the BJP on Saturday after a meeting with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and state party chief Jitu Vaghani during its parliamentary board meeting, which was also attended by BJP president Amit Shah.

NEW DELHI: Chief election commissioner Achal Kumar Joti on Monday said multiple factors, including the weather had come into play when deciding why to hold elections in Himachal before Gujarat.

Joti said political parties and the state administration in Himachal Pradesh had requested the Election Commission to organise the polls before mid-November as there was probability of snowfall in three districts of the hill state.

"When we went to Himachal Pradesh, the state election commission, political parties and the administration told us that three districts - Kinnaur, Lahaul Spiti and Chamba - are likely to experience snowfall. Therefore, a request was made to conduct the elections earlier so that voters can cast their ballots," said Joti.

"Another main reason is that Himachal and Gujarat are not adjoining states. The EC has always made sure that the voting pattern of one state does not affect the voting pattern of another, and that is why the counting period in Himachal Pradesh has been kept on December 18. We had stated that we would plan the election schedule in Gujarat in such a way that polling in the state is over prior to Himachal result, so that the outcome of the result should not affect the voting in Gujarat," Joti said.

The CEC, citing an office memorandum issued by ministry of law and justice in 2001 and approved by the Supreme Court, said, "The commission shall announce the date of any election which shall be a date ordinarily not more than three weeks prior to the date on which the notification is likely to be issued in wake of elections. The model code of conduct is applied from the day we make the announcement until the poll is over. So, if the states share the border, it should have been an issue, but with Gujarat, the situation is very different." Referring to the Gujarat floods, which claimed hundreds of lives and caused huge damage to infrastructure, the CEC averred that the state had to undergo restoration work before elections could be organised.

The poll panel chief also underlined the fact that the government staff which would carry out the restoration work is the same lot which would carry out services during the elections. And that once the announcement for the polls is made, the government employees will have to leave the restoration work and perform election related duties.

In July, parts of Gujarat were ravaged by incessant rains and floods that claimed more than 200 lives.