Kolkata: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) J M Lyngdoh on February 1 attacked the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its style of electioneering in the recent Assembly
elections in Gujarat saying it came out with "new tricks" to campaign on communal
lines despite a tight vigil by the poll body.
The Election Commission did all it could to prevent electioneering on communal lines
in Gujarat but "despite its best efforts, they came out with new tricks which we
found difficult to prevent", he said.
Lyngdoh made these remarks at a news conference when asked whether any special
measures were being taken in the conduct of forthcoming Assembly elections in the
wake of BJP's plans to repeat the "Gujarat model" in campaigning there.
"If you go out of bounds, there are Laws to deal with you. There are officers to
implement the Laws."
Lyngdoh was in Kolkata for a meeting with MPs, MLAs and representatives of various
political parties.
To a question about Tripura, which is going to Assembly polls later this month, he
said the situation was "not so good". However, EC would try to work as best as it
could under the situation. "Our job is to conduct the elections and we will try to
do so in Tripura."
Lamenting that there seemed to be a process of "less and less Democracy" in the
country, he said, "If there is no Democracy, you don't need an Election Commission.
But I hope that Democracy will prevail and as long as it does, the EC will continue
to do its job."
The CEC declined to comment on reports that the BJP was in favour of holding the
general elections between November and March next year.
PTI
