Election Commission official tells ThePrint the PMO informally checked if Narendra Modi could address a rally in Baghpat, which is 50km from the poll-bound district.
New Delhi: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had informally reached out to the Election Commission to check if Prime Minister Narendra Modi could address a rally in Baghpat just a day before the crucial polls in neighbouring Kairana, ThePrint has learnt.
A day before the hotly contested Kairana bypoll, Modi inaugurated the country’s first Eastern-Peripheral Meerut-Delhi Highway barely 50 km from the poll-bound district. Observers and opposition leaders had criticised him for breaking convention of a PM campaigning for a bypoll, and that too a day before the election.
‘Avoidable’ rally
“His office had checked with us whether it would be alright to address a rally there before the election,” a senior Election Commission official said on condition of anonymity.
Doing so would not have been illegal since Baghpat does not fall under the area where the model code of conduct was applicable, the PMO was informed. However, the rally was “avoidable”, the functionary said.
“There is a difference between legality and propriety… The rally was avoidable, but the PM cannot be faulted legally.”
Wary of the potential impact of the PM’s speech on Kairana voters, the opposition Rashtriya Lok Dal had requested the poll panel to cancel his rally. But their request was rejected. The RLD nomineem Tabassum Hasan, had complained that it was akin to an election rally a day before the polls, and therefore violated the model code of conduct, which bans campaigning 48 hours before the end of polling.
Of late, the Election Commission has come under severe criticism from opposition parties for favouring the ruling BJP.
A strategic speech
While the PM was there to inaugurate the 135-km expressway, he attacked the Congress in his address.
“Those who worshipped one family, could not worship democracy,” Modi had said in a veiled attack on the Congress.
Moreover, he touched upon a range of key topics that dominated the electoral discourse in Kairana, including issues of sugarcane farmers.
A day before the rally, a 60-year old farmer had died of a heatstroke while protesting over the sugar mills not clearing farmers’ dues. “Sugarcane farmers will get benefit of Rs 5.50 on per quintal of sugarcane… Farmers’ money will never get stuck with mill owners. I assure sugarcane farmers, the government is committed to their welfare,” he had said.
Prof PK Sharma, Freelance Journalist,Barnala(Punjab)
The Election Commission of India has enveloped PM Modi’s act of addressing a rally in Baghpat a day before the Kairana Lok Sabha Constituency bypoll in the disguise of legality and propriety !
The commission functionary remarked:
” There is a difference between legality and propriety….. The rally was avoidable,but the PM cannot be faulted legally.”
The fact cannot be denied that the cover up reflects “ifs and buts” in the tale.
Then the coveted office of Prime Minister of India has certain amount of grace,dignity and sanctity attached to it too !
Should not these values and niceties weigh in the mind of the Honorable PM Modi over his party’s win or loss in a bypoll ?
Time to ponder over and introspect !
Prof PK Sharma,Freelance Journalist
Pom Anm Nest,Barnala(Punjab)