Hold Gujarat election soon, Congress tells poll panel

Following an allegation by Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Narendra Patel that the BJP had offered him ₹1 crore to join the party, the Congress has demanded that the Election Commission (EC) announce polls for the Gujarat Assembly at the earliest.

The BJP, countering the charges, said it’s the Congress that has used money to win elections — including Lok Sabha polls — in the past.

Another PAAS member Nikhil Savani, who had joined the BJP some months ago, resigned on Monday, alleging that the BJP is not keeping its promises to the Patidar community.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said here on Monday the Congress has become the number one

dramebaaz party in its desperation to make a comeback in Gujarat. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi went to Gujarat to welcome OBC leader Alpesh Thakur into the Congress fold, he added. “Thakur had contested election with a Congress ticket in Mehsana and was defeated. His father was district president of the Congress. Now, Rahul is in Gujarat to enrol him to the Congress. Had Rahul Ganhi done his homework properly, this wouldn’t have happened,” Prasad said.

On Narendra Patel’s allegation, he asked: “He says he has been offered ₹1 crore and displays ₹10 lakh. Where is the balance ₹90 lakh? In 2008, money had to be brought to Parliament. Congress politics is based on falsehood, corruption and anti-development stand.”

The Congress said the BJP is displaying a very unique combination of “ignorance, arrogance and downright” frustration. “In the past 24 hours this has manifested itself in many ways,” said senior Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari. “First and foremost, the PM of India, who repeats ‘he won’t eat and won’t let others eat’, doesn’t see what happens in Gujarat. Rampant allegations of bribery by people affiliated with movements have come up. Why is the BJP luring and allegedly bribing PAAS leaders and trying to break it? Isn’t this a clear sign of their frustration?”

Tewari demanded a high court-monitored probe into the allegations by Patel. He urged the government to file an FIR and start the probe at the earliest.

“Why is the Election Commission becoming an unnecessary party to the BJP’s attempt to run away from the elections? It has the constitutional responsibility and mandate. We demand that the Election Commission immediately declare elections in Gujarat, enforce the model code of conduct to stop all these allegations and sheer chicanery taking place in Gujarat,” Tewari added.