LIVE: History will not pardon EC, says Cong as Sarma's campaign ban reduced

The Congress hit out at the Election Commission for reducing the campaigning ban on Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and said it is a dark day for parliamentary democracy and history will not pardon the panel. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said it was deplorable that the EC could not sustain its own order and accused the poll body of buckling under pressure of the Modi government by reducing the ban on Sarma from 48 hours to 24 hours.

The ruling AIADMK urged the EC to restrain the Income Tax department from conducting "unwanted searches" on its leaders that are deliberate violations of the provisions of the Representation of People Act and its rules. The party accused the DMK and Congress leaders, having influence with bureaucrats and higher officials, of making the authorities carry out the raids.

Launching a scathing attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and CM Banerjee in particular, Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his second election rally on Saturday at Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district said that the cut-money culture and syndicate racket is hindering the growth of the state.

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