Can conduct internal polls only by Dec'17: Cong writes to EC

With the Election Commission's directive to Congress to conduct the party organisational polls by June, the AICC on Monday questioned the poll body's jurisdiction in fixing such a date and said the process could only be completed by December.

According to sources, Congress has written to the Election Commission saying that the deadline fixed by it went against the resolution of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), its highest decision-making body, while reaffirming that it required a year to conduct its organisational polls.

"On a jurisdictional basis, we do not believe that the Election Commission can kind of fix a date for any political party, not only us," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters.

He, however, said the party was neither scared nor hesitant in conducting such polls and asked for six more months' time for doing so.

"We are fully ready to have it (internal polls), but on a deferment, after we have got all the lists updated," he said.

On being asked how much time has been sought by the party, Singhvi said, "It is approximately six months more when it (internal polls) will be done."