Ahmedabad/New Delhi, Dec 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'roadshow' after casting his vote in the second phase of Gujarat Assembly elections has created a fresh controversy with senior Congress leader P Chidambaram accusing the Election Commission of allowing a 'political campaign'.
Modi exercised his franchise on Thursday at Nishan School in Ranip area of Sabarmati Assembly constituency where BJP's sitting legislator Arvind Patel is fighting against Congress candidate Jitubhai Patel.
After voting, Modi came out of the polling booth to acknowledge a massive crowd. He walked down the road showing his inked finger to the crowd that roared with "Modi! Modi!" slogans. The prime minister after acknowledging the crowd drove off.
Congress leader P Chidambaram has accused the Election Commission of allowing the prime minister a "roadshow", saying it is a gross violation of rules and that the Commission was "sleeping on the job". "It is an election campaign. What is the EC doing?" he tweeted, reacting Modi displaying his inked finger.
The prime minister had violated the model code of conduct by holding a "roadshow" after voting in the Gujarat Assembly polls, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala alleged.
Addressing a press conference, he said the poll panel was a "puppet and frontal organisation" of the ruling BJP as it took no action against Modi.
"It is a sad day for the country as EC has denigrated the Constitution," Surjewala said.
Modi had created a similar controversy in 2014 as a prime ministerial candidate for taking a selfie with his party symbol and interacting with journalists after casting his vote.
When the Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer B B Swain was asked about the complaint lodged by Congress against the road show organised by the prime minister while casting his vote and it being aired by television channels, the CEO said, "I will have to look in to it."
On Thursday, about 2.2 crore voters were expected to cast their votes across 93 constituencies (40 Central Gujarat and 53 North Gujarat) at 25,558 polling booths to decide the fate of 851 candidates, including 782 males and 69 women candidates.
"The elections so far are going on peacefully, with minor reports of skirmishes between couple of persons outside polling areas. There were some defects with EVMs or VVPATs during mock testing and we have replaced them. However, defects are much lower than what we saw in the first phase," Swain said. "There is also complaint of bluetooth getting connected to EVM at a booth in Ghatlodia. We have initiated a process in the issue."
Informal reports coming in from various quarters suggest that almost 45% of electorate have cast their votes till 1 pm. Voting began at 8 am.
Among the prominent personalities who cast their votes in the second phase include Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel who cast his vote from his Mehsana constituency with his spouse; Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother Hiraba in Gandhinagar; BJP president Amit Shah at Kameshwar in Naranpura constituency with his wife and son Jay Shah; former chief minister Anandiben at Shilaj; Union finance minister Arun Jaitley at Vejalpur constituency in Ahmedabad and Governor O P Kohli in Gandhinagar.
Among key opposition members, former chief minister Shankarsinh Vaghela cast his vote at Vasaniya Mahadev in Gandhinagar. State Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki also excercised his franchise in the morning. Meanwhile, Patel quota stir leader Hardik Patel and his parents cast their votes from Viramgam constituency in North Gujarat.
State bureaucrats, including Gujarat chief electoral officer B B Swain and state chief secretary J N Singh were seen casting their votes.
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