Terming as “unconstitutional” the Election Commission’s decision to hold separate bypolls to two Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat, the state Congress Sunday accused the ruling BJP of pressurising the poll body so that it could win both the seats.
The opposition party also raised question marks over the impartiality of the EC and threatened to move the Supreme Court against it.
“Election to two vacant Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat should be held together. But in order not to lose any of the two seats, the BJP has pressurised the Election Commission into holding the polls to the two seats separately, which is unconstitutional,” Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda told reporters here Sunday.
“The notification is wrong, unconstitutional and raises questions over the impartiality of the Election Commission. We will move the Supreme Court against the notification,” Chavda said.
The EC had Saturday said that bypolls to six Rajya Sabha seats, including two in Gujarat vacated by Union ministers Amit Shah and Smriti Irani, will be held on July 5.
The seats fell vacant after Shah won from Gandhinagar and Irani from Amethi Lok Sabha constituencies respectively. Reacting to Chavda’s accusations, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said by-elections to the Rajya Sabha seats are held separately, which is why the EC decided to issue separate notifications for the same.