Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], November 19 (ANI): Former Chief Minister of Rajasthan and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot expressed strong criticism of the Election Commission, claiming that it has failed to uphold its responsibilities during the campaigning for the assembly polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Gehlot said that the Electioan Commission was sleeping and people nowadays feel that the Election Commission should be locked.
He said that the poll body plays an important role in saving the democracy of the country but was not able to do this.
Gehlot's comments were made in the context of the BJP's poll slogans like "batenge to katenge" and "ek hain toh safe hain," which he claims to be a dangerous approach and that they are polarising the whole election process.
He highlighted Congress' position on the key issues such as inflation, unemployment, and corruption that should dominate the election discourse.
"The Congress wants that the election should be fought on issues like inflation, unemployment, and corruption. Meanwhile, the BJP is trying to polarise the whole process by making remarks like 'batoge toh katoge' and 'ek hain toh safe hain.' This approach is dangerous...They are fighting this election not on issues but on religion, and this is a dangerous trend. This is a danger to democracy," Gehlot said.
"The Election Commission is sleeping... Today people feel that the Election Commission should be locked...The Election Commission should play an important role in saving the democracy of the country, but the Election Commission is not able to do this. This is our complaint," he added.
Turning to the political landscape in Maharashtra, Gehlot suggested that the opposition INDIA alliance would form the next government in the state, emphasising the discontent among people over the manner in which the previous government had collapsed, allegedly through horse-trading.
"The atmosphere is surrounding the INDIA alliance. The way the government fell by horse-trading, there is anger in people's minds, and the governance was also not good... When there was INDIA alliance there, they did very well... I am predicting that the INDIA alliance will form in Maharashtra," he said.
Gehlot further spoke on the political climate in Jharkhand, citing the success of Congress' guarantee card in their poll promise for farmers, youth, and women in the state, expressing his confidence in the INDIA alliance's prospects there as well.
"The situation in Jharkhand is also good. The guarantee card that was given, the five guarantees for farmers, youth, and women, looking at this atmosphere of guarantee card reaching every household, the INDIA alliance is expected to form the government there," he said.
The first phase of the Jharkhand Assembly elections concluded with voting being completed in 43 of 81 assembly seats on November 13, with the remaining 38 seats in Jharkhand taking place on November 20, along with the 288 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly.
Campaigning for the polls in Maharashtra and the second phase of assembly polls in Jharkhand ended at 5 PM on Monday. Votes will be counted on November 23. (ANI)
