Priyanka Gandhi says poll phases seem structured for BJP’s convenience

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the Assembly poll schedule appears structured to suit the BJP’s convenience. Shashi Tharoor also expressed surprise over the early election in Kerala, saying the April 9 polling date has left the party with limited campaign time

New Delhi: A day after the Election Commission (EC) announced the schedule for the upcoming Assembly polls, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said it seems that the polling dates and the structuring of phases have been decided to suit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) convenience.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also expressed surprise over the poll schedule, saying an early election in Kerala has taken “us aback”.

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Assembly polls will be held on a single day in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry (April 9) and Tamil Nadu (April 23), and in two phases in West Bengal — on April 23 and April 29 — while the counting of votes for all the elections will be taken up on May 4, the EC announced on Sunday.

Asked about the dates and scheduling, Priyanka Gandhi said, “The election dates that have been announced and the way the phases have been structured, it seems to have been decided according to the BJP’s convenience.”

Tharoor, talking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, said, “Kerala is an important election. It is a very important challenge for us because we had the LDF government coming back to power last time, which is unusual because for half a century, the two fronts have alternated in government. We do not want to allow them to repeat.”

“A very surprisingly early election has taken us all aback. We were all expecting the voting to take place in the last 10 days of April, but on April 9, we will have voting in Kerala. That means it is just barely three weeks left,” the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram said.

While the ruling CPI(M) has fielded a number of incumbent MLAs in the upcoming polls, the Congress has many new candidates and they need more time to familiarise themselves with the electorate, Tharoor said.

“It is a bigger challenge for us but we are working hard and are prepared to rise up to that challenge,” he added.

Tharoor also said he is likely to miss the last two weeks of the Parliament session due to the Kerala polls.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K C Venugopal said on Sunday that the campaign period is very short.

“In between, there will be the Holy Week and the election is scheduled a few days before the Vishu festival. In practical terms, there are very limited days for campaigning,” he said.

Venugopal, however, asserted that the Congress is ready for the election.