BJP for two-phase Gujarat polls, Congress for single

The Opposition Congress has demanded a single phase Assembly polls in Gujarat so as to ensure a free-and-fair affair, while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded polls in two phases with a gap of at least five days between them.

Ahmedabad, Oct 4 : The Opposition Congress has demanded a single phase Assembly polls in Gujarat so as to ensure a "free-and-fair affair", while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded polls in two phases with a gap of at least five days between them.

Congress State unit president Bharat Solanki on Thursday led a team to three-member Election Commission, comprising Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy and Commissioners Navin Chawla and Y S Qureshi, and put forth their view that the phased elections would give a chance to the ruling party to manipulate polls.

Recalling past instances when all Parliamentary and Assembly elections in the State were held on a single day, Solanki told the EC: "One-day election in the State will prove to be a free-and-fair affair. The two-phased polls will give chance to large 'worker force' of ruling BJP to carry out bogus voting,"

Alleging that the State government was "violating rules and regulations, code of conduct, constitutional provisions and misusing government machinery and funds to influence the voters," Solanki asked the EC "to implement election code of conduct and stop misuse of government machinery and funds by the BJP government."

On the other hand, the BJP sought election in two-phases with a gap of at least five days between them.

"We have demanded from the EC that election may be held in two phases, following other states and a minimum gap of five days be kept between them," MP Surendra Patel, who led the BJP delegation, said.

ANI