EC working under BJP pressure, has become paralysed: Rajasthan Cong chief

Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra on Monday (June 3) questioned the credibility of the Election Commission, accusing it of not taking a single step on Model Code of Conduct violations by ruling party members.

Dotasra's allegation against the Election Commission (EC) that came on the eve of counting of votes invited sharp reaction from the BJP which called his remark "shameful" for democracy.

The Congress leader also claimed that the opposition INDIA bloc will win more seats in the state than the BJP.

Alleging that the EC is working under the pressure created by the BJP, Dotasra said that whatever complaints the AICC and the State Congress Committee made to the poll panel during the elections, no action was taken.

"Not even a single notice has been issued. In a way, the Election Commission has become paralysed," he told reporters here.

"This is the first time that the Election Commission had to come forward and say that it is impartial and not suppressed by the BJP," he said.

‘INDIA bloc will form govt’

Dotasra said the Congress will win more seats than the ruling BJP in Rajasthan and that an INDIA bloc government is going to be formed in the country.

"The people of Rajasthan have voted in favour of the INDIA bloc candidates, and we will win more seats than the BJP," he said.

"We will register 100 per cent victory on about 10 seats and there are about eight seats where we have a lead," he said, adding that people of the country have voted to save the Constitution and to uproot the "dictatorship" that has been going on in the country for the last 10 years.

‘People have voted against Modi’s failures’

He also claimed that the ruling BJP did not contest the elections on the issues.

"Has inflation gone down? Has unemployment reduced? Has the income of the farmer increased? Has the BJP done anything good in foreign policy and economic policy? It could not do well in any field. There was anger among the people," he said.

The state Congress chief also alleged that the Rajasthan government has not been able to do any work in the last six months.

He said that this time people have voted against the failures of the Modi government at the Centre, and for the 'Nyay Patra' and guarantees of the Congress.

Rejecting the exit polls which predicted five to seven seats to the Congress and its allies in Rajasthan, Dotasra said that the INDIA bloc will win at least 10 seats and the Congress has an edge on eight seats.

He said that the counting agents of all the candidates have been instructed to carefully match all the figures of Form 17C during the counting on Tuesday.

BJP calls allegations “baseless”

Reacting to the allegations, BJP state spokesperson Laxmikant Bhardwaj said that Dotasra's frustration was clearly visible from his "baseless" statements.

"Dotasra is hiding his frustration by making such cheap and disgusting statements on the sacred institutions of democracy. His arrogance will be shattered after the election results are out," Bhardwaj said.

Meanwhile, former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot asked the counting agents to carefully match the total number of votes in Form 17C and EVMs.

"If it does not match, register an objection with the concerned officials," Gehlot posted on X.

He said that an attempt has been made to create an atmosphere in favour of the BJP through the exit poll.

"We all have gone among the public and heard their voice which is against the BJP. You should get the counting done with full enthusiasm and positivity," he said.

It is in the national interest that the Congress and the INDIA bloc should win this Lok Sabha election, he added.

In Rajasthan, the Congress has an alliance with its INDIA bloc partners including the CPI(M) and the Hanuman Beniwal-led Rashtriya Loktantrik Party.

In the 2019 General Elections, the BJP-led NDA had won all 25 seats in the state. The Congress drew a blank in the polls.

(With inputs from agencies)