‘Intriguing, yet understandable’: Uddhav Thackeray accuses EC of double standards in favour of BJP

The Sena (UBT) leader cited that during the Karnataka election campaigning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged voters to “say Bajrangbali ki jai while voting”, while Home Minister Amit Shah said in Madhya Pradesh that “if you vote for the BJP, you will not be charged for going to Ayodhya”.

“Has the Election Commission changed rules and the Bharatiya Janata Party knows about it and we don’t? The Election Commission should clarify whether what happened in 1987 was as per the rules or what is happening today is as per the rules. Balasaheb’s use of these words was termed as corrupt practices by the EC,” the former Maharashtra chief minister said. “We feel the model code of conduct has been relaxed (this time around). If that is the case, we should know about it.”

“Giving the BJP a free hit and dismissing us as a hit wicket does not amount to holding free and fair elections,” Thackeray further said, using cricket terminology.

The Sena (UBT) also wrote a letter to the commission accusing it of double standards. “The double standards applied by the Election Commission are intriguing, yet understandable, given the fact that the commission is publicly perceived to be in alignment with whatever the BJP does during elections and even otherwise,” its letter to the poll body read.