After an all-party meeting called by the Election Commission on Thursday, BJP State General Secretary Jayanti Barot said his party was unhappy with the duration of the Model Code of Conduct in the state. He said a 60-day period “will unnecessarily hamper development work in the state”. Firing the party's first salvo at the Congress, Barot said though the Code of Conduct is in place in Gujarat, the Union Ministry of Health and Welfare has released a half-page advertisement in some newspapers on Thursday. He also drew the attention of the EC towards the coverage in Doordarshan and claimed that the local DD Kendra was “blatantly favouring the Congress party”. He sought adequate instructions from the EC for a balanced coverage on DD. Meanwhile, the Congress, in its presentation before the EC, alleged that the state machinery has spent Rs 750 crore over the past three months to promote Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Alleging that the Government has already sidelined the impartial IPS and IAS officers and given key postings to those officials who work in tandem with their political masters, Congress demanded that competent and impartial officials who left the state on deputation due to unfavourable work environment in the state be brought back to Gujarat for the elections. Bahujan Samaj Party General Secretary Nalin Bhatt, too, met the EC. The party, in its representation, requested the EC that “Vande Gujarat,” a Gujarati Channel, which has been campaigning for the Modi government for some time in the state be taken off air immediately.
