NEW DELHI: Political parties said that they are confident as the
Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday announced the dates of assembly elections in five different states — Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana.
The day started with Congress accusing the BJP of "putting pressure" on the Election Commission to delay the timing of the press conference by several hours.
The Congress alleged that the delay was deliberate so as to accommodate Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's election rally in Rajasthan's Ajmer, which goes to poll on December 7.
Even Yashwant Sinha was convinced that the Election Commission's press conference was delayed to facilitate PM Modi's rally. The announcement of the poll dates also kicked in the Model Code of Conduct — signaling the end of the political campaign.
The ECI was quick to refute Congress's allegations - "Politicians are political creatures and they have to see politics in everything because of their political nature. We have to make no comments on that," the chief election commissioner said.
The BJP, which is in power in three of the five states, said that it is confident and will register a "record victory" in these elections.
Senior BJP leader and law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Bharatiya Janata Party will have a record victory on the basis of its hard work and development measures besides the performance of its governments in the three states. He also mocked his party's principal challenger, the Congress, saying it failed miserably in its efforts to forge an alliance against the BJP for the state polls.
In Madhya Pradesh, which goes to poll on November 28, state BJP in-charge,
Dharmendra Pradhan said that his party is fully prepared for the polls and Shivraj Singh Chauhan will be its chief minister candidate.
In Chhattisgarh, the Congress wasn't pleased with EC's decision to hold the polls in two different phases — November 12 and 20. "The two-phase election was taken to allow misuse of power," state in-charge for the Congress party, PL Punia said.
In Telangana, the Congress wasn't happy with the announcement of the poll dates as a case was pending in the court on alleged discrepancies in electoral rolls.
"I don't know what is the hurry for them. The matter is pending. The discussion is going on. A separate date is given for the next hearing. Pending the next hearing, they have gone ahead and announced the schedule. They may have authority to do so. But then, the case is filed that there is an anomaly, there is some discrepancy in the voters' list," Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Sravan Dasoju said.
In September, the Congress had alleged that there were around 70 lakh discrepancies in the voter list in Telangana and said any election held on "flawed and inaccurate" electoral rolls would be a "fraud" with the people of the country.
However, the other two main political parties in the state - BJP and TRS - both welcomed the announcement and said that they are ready to face the battle.
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi bestowed his faith in the victory of TRS president K Chandrashekar Rao.
"I welcome the decision. I hope people will come out and vote in large numbers. I am confident that people will vote for my party candidates. I am also confident that the next CM of Telangana would be K Chandrashekar Rao," he said.
The ECI announced that assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana will be held between November 12 and December 7.
While Chhattisgarh will go to polls in two phases on November 12 and 20, elections in Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram will be held on November 28.
Polling in Rajasthan and Telangana will be held on December 7, chief election commissioner OP Rawat said.
Counting of votes will be taken up together in all the five states on December 11, he added.
