Delay in poll date, code of conduct: SEC faces flak

Both the NCP and the Congress said the civic polls are being deliberately delayed to favour the ruling BJP which is set to announce sops.

STATE ELECTION Commissioner Jageshwar Saharia on Sunday said the election code of conduct for civic elections will come into force within a few days. This has irked opposition parties like the Congress and the NCP, which have alleged that code was being delayed to favour the ruling BJP. Denying the claims by the opposition parties, Saharia said,”I am out on a tour and will take a decision after returning…The decision will be announced either in the coming week or next week. We are in the process of finalising the schedule,” he said.

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To a question regarding the exact poll date, Saharia said it will become clear once they announce the schedule and the poll code.

He refused to state whether the polls will be held in second or third week of February. “The civic elections will certainly be held in February as SSC and HSC exams are there in March. We want to wind up the polling and counting before the exams,” he said.

Both the NCP and the Congress said the civic polls are being deliberately delayed to favour the ruling BJP which is set to announce sops. “Since the state government is busy clearing the pending projects and the Cabinet is set to announce sops, the poll dates seems to be put on hold to favour the BJP,” said Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan. The former chief minister said if the government announces the sops, they will move the court to get their cancellation. “Also if the 45 date poll code is cut short, we will protest,” he said.

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