M A I N   N E W S

BJP asks Cong to clear stand on Gujarat poll
EC in no hurry to conduct elections
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 20
BJP President M Venkaiah Naidu today ruled out snap poll in Himachal Pradesh, accused the Congress and Left parties of adopting “double standards” on the Gujarat poll and questioned the rationale behind the opposition’s demand for conducting of Assembly poll there under President’s Rule.

“There is no proposal to hold an early poll in Himachal Pradesh,” Mr Naidu told a press conference here.

Mr Naidu, who had a meeting with Himachal Chief Minister P. K. Dhumal this morning, said there was no move from the Central leadership to revamp the state unit in Himachal. “There is no plan to change the present team. They are doing a good job,” he said.

On Gujarat, Mr Naidu said “BJP is really surprised over the double standards of the opposition parties with regard to their stand on the proposed Assembly elections in Gujarat. The Congress had a couple of months back publicly demanded elections, now that the assembly has been dissolved they are voicing against an early poll.”

On the Congress and Left parties demand that the poll should be held under the President’s Rule in Gujarat, Mr Naidu wanted to know whether they are suggesting that they want all the future state Assembly elections to be held under the Central Rule.

The Election Commission (EC) seems to be in no hurry to hold elections in Gujarat, even as the BJP has urged for an early poll in the state.

Although the commission maintained silence on the snap poll in Gujarat, commission sources said the issue was likely to be deliberated only next week.

Terming as false the reports in a section of the Press that a three-member Bench would meet today on the issue, sources asked: “How can the meeting be held, when the commission is closed for the weekend?”

Stating that the commission had till last evening not even received the Gujarat Government’s letter informing about its decision to go for snap poll, sources said the Election Commission would be in no hurry to decide on the poll dates.