Bengaluru, March 16 (UNI) AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday criticized the Election Commission's decision to conduct the Lok Sabha election in seven phases and expressed concerns about the prolonged halt in development work across the country due to the election process.
He emphasized that such extensive election phases, spanning 70-80 days, would impede progress and development as per the model code of conduct.
Kharge advocated for a more streamlined election process, suggesting completing the elections within three or four phases for better progress and development. "The elections could have been completed within three or four (phases)..." he said.
The Congress Chief also urged the Election Commission to act impartially in overseeing the electoral process to ensure a level playing field for all parties involved.
"Seven (phases) means nearly all development work will be stopped and stopping for nearly 70-80 days means you can imagine how the country will progress because as per the model code of conduct, people will not move, the material will not be supplied, the budget will not be spent, so this, according to me, is not good," he told reporters here.
Replying to a query, the Rajya Sabha MP expressed concerns about potential attacks from the BJP and urged the Election Commission to act impartially in overseeing the electoral process.
"These are routine advisories, and despite these advisories, we will see how the BJP people and leaders will act and how they will attack the other opposition parties. And naturally, others also may do the same to some extent but anyway let us see," he said.
Kharge also emphasized the importance of maintaining impartiality and ensuring a level playing field for all parties involved.
"We can't say now this because the election commission is today-born. So in future what is going to happen and how they are going to behave impartially. I hope and expect they should behave impartially and there should be a level playing ground which will help the country and the real spirit of democracy prevails," he said.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge criticized the Election Commission's announcement of the 2024 Lok Sabha election dates, alleging that the timing appears to favor the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's narrative.
He pointed out the lengthy seven-phase election process, contrasting it with Maharashtra's five-phase election, and implied that this scheduling benefits the BJP by allowing their star campaigner more time to travel across the country.
"Just like the last time, the Election Commission seems to have announced the dates in a manner PM Modi can get the maximum mileage to get the party's (BJP) narrative across the states. It is being held in 7 phases ...
"Maharashtra has an election in 5 phases, so it is quite evident that this entire election process is to ensure that BJP gets more time to have their star campaigner (Modi ji) move around the country much more easily," he told a section of media here.
While acknowledging EC's reasoning related to troop movement and geographical factors, Kharge expressed skepticism, noting that ECI had previously conducted elections on a massive scale without such extensive scheduling.
"Though EC has said it is about the movement of troops, geographical conditions, this is not the first time India is going to have an election on such a massive scale," he said.
Despite his concerns, Priyank Kharge conceded that there is little recourse but to accept the Election Commission's decision. "We can't do anything, we will have to just go with what EC has declared today," he said.
Earlier, the EC announced election for the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka in two phases.
Fourteen seats in South Karnataka will vote in the second phase, while the remaining 14 seats will vote on May 7 in the third phase.
The constituencies voting on April 26 include Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumkuru, Mandya, Mysuru, Chamrajanagar, Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru North, Bengaluru South, Chikkaballapura, and Kolar.
The constituencies voting in another phase include Chikkodi, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Bellary, Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davangere, and Shivamogga.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP won 25 out of the 28 seats in Karnataka. The Congress, Janata Dal (Secular), and an Independent candidate each won one seat.
In the 2014 polls, the BJP won 17 seats, the Congress secured nine, and the JDS won two seats.
Interestingly, the JDS, which was previously in alliance with the Congress, has now allied with the BJP. Under the agreement, the JDS will contest in a couple of seats, while the BJP will contest in 25 seats.
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