While welcoming the announcement of the dates for Assembly elections in five States, BSP, Congress, left, Shiv Sena and Samajwadi Party demanded postponement of the Budget Session as they fear that the Government may misuse the opportunity to make populist announcements to influence voters.
Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said the commission was examining the issue and would take a decision in due course. “The commission has received one representation sent by some political parties. This representation is with regards to presentation of the Union Budget. The commission is examining this representation and in due course of time will take a call on this,” Zaidi told reporters.
leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad also wrote a letter to the CEC in which he said, “It is a collective and serious concern of the Opposition parties that advancing the presentation of the Union Budget to February 1 will provide an opportunity to the Government to make populist announcements to influence voters. This will not only give unfair advantage to the ruling party but will also undermine the process of free and fair elections. It is therefore demanded that in view of the forthcoming elections and the precedent of 2012, the advancement of the presentation of the Budget should not be allowed.”
Seeking strict compliance of the Model Code of Conduct in UP, BSP chief Mayawati asked the Election Commission to instruct the Central Government to present the Budget only after completion of polling in all the five States going to polls in the country. “The Election Commission should instruct the Central Government not to present the general Budget on February 1 and just as in 2012, it be presented only after the completion of polling process on March 8,” Mayawati said in a party release issued in lucknow.
“State elections are fought largely on State-level issues. There is a positive undercurrent for the BJP across the country which is what we have seen post-demonetisation. Therefore, we expect to win all the States. Our stakes are the lowest, but our gains are going to be the highest,” BJP national spokesperson GVl Narsimha Rao said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, whose AAP is hoping to clinch power in Punjab and Goa, claimed the situation in the two States, where the BJP is in power or sharing it, is “bad” and people want to bring in an “honest” Government led by his party in the upcoming polls.
Sanjay Raut, an MP from NDA constituent Shiv Sena, said poll preparations of the saffron party were “complete”, particularly in northern States and BJP-ruled Goa. “Shiv Sena is holding an important meeting chaired by party president Uddhav Thackeray where such issues will be discussed. Our preparations are complete for the polls,” he said.
Naresh Agrawal, who was recently expelled by Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav in the midst of a feud within the ruling party of UP, insisted the EC see to it that the Budget Session announced by the Central Government is postponed to ensure that voters do not get influenced.
“The manner in which the Budget Session has been convened in between the polls, we will urge the Election Commission to get it postponed, the way the 2012 Budget Session was postponed, to ensure free and fair polls,” Agarwal said.