New Delhi: The Chief Election Commissioner, N Gopalswamy says that the political parties contesting elections, should adhere to the model code of conduct so that Election Commission does not have to follow them or issue notices on violations.
However, he says that the EC is relieved after the Gujarat polls. “We had no problems at any stage during the elections,” says Goplalswamy. He says that if one is fair and one is perceived as being fair, then it causes no problems.
Justifying the five-day difference between the two days of polling, he said it could have been reduced by just one day and even that would also have put a lot of strain on the election machinery.
He also says that there was not a single voice of dissent amongst the Election Commissioners during the polling, or on the statements of ‘merchants of death’ by Sonia Gandhi.
Unfazed by the Election Commission's displeasure over party President Sonia Gandhi's"Merchants of death" speech, the Congress insisted on Friday that there was no model code of conduct violation by her even as it said the poll body's indictment of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was a vindication of its allegations.
"While we have respect for the Constitutional institution of the Election Commission, I must firmly state that there was no violation whatsoever of the Model Code of Conduct nor was there the remotest intention to do so. We must therefore respectfully agree to disagree," AICC spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told PTI.
Reacting to BJP's charge that the Commission was "differentiating" between Gandhi and Modi, he said the saffron party should not lament because "unequals like Sonia Gandhi and Modi cannot be treated equally."
"Instead of protesting and lamenting at the EC, the BJP should begin by controlling its own unguided missile," Singhvi said.
The Election Commission held that Modi and Gandhi violated the model code of conduct by their controversial remarks during election campaign in Gujarat.
With Agency inputs
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