NEW DELHI, 21 February 2004 — India’s parliamentary elections are likely to be held in four phases from mid-April to early May, political sources and an electoral official said yesterday.
“Broadly it will be a four-phase election,” A.N. Jha, spokesman for the Election Commission told reporters after a meeting here between the commission’s top officials and leaders of political parties.
Jha did not give any dates saying an annoucement would be made “at an appropriate time”. A prominent leader of the ruling BJP party, Pramod Mahajan, who also attended the meeting, told reporters that elections were likely to be held on April 17, 18 and May 8 and 9.
Other political sources echoed Mahajan, saying the elections were most likely to be held between mid-April and early May.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party’s “feel-good” electoral campaign is suddenly facing a string of attacks from all corners, including the Election Commission, opposition parties and certain Christian organizations. A protest lodged by the Congress against the misuse of tax-payers’ money by the BJP-led coalition government in advertisements of “India Shining” for electoral campaigns has prompted the Election Commission to raise its voice on this issue.
The EC has appealed to the center not to use the taxpayers’ money for electoral gains. Till the Model Code of Conduct does not come into force, the EC can only appeal to the government and cannot issue directions to it. The EC clarified this stand to the Congress by quoting Supreme Court’s observation that the Model Code of Conduct would be applicable only from the date of notification.
While BJP may be relieved about being spared the EC rod, opposition parties have not ceased questioning its advertisements in their campaign.
“The BJP-led government has been on an ad blitzkrieg on television and in newspapers showing that the people are happy... but is everyone really happy,” Sonia Gandhi asked a gathering in Bhadohi (Uttar Pradesh) yesterday.
Taking note that weavers in the country’s “carpet capital” were not able to make both ends meet because of the NDA government’s “faulty policies,” she asked the people to vote for Congress to ensure development.
Confronting the BJP’s “feel-good” campaign, the CPI (M) has sought a CBI probe into the sale of the government-owned Centaur Hotel of Bombay, which the party says has caused a 1,450 million rupees revenue loss. The manner in which the Centaur Hotel was sold to Batra Hospitality Private Limited was illustrative of large-scale corruption in disinvestment programs, CPI (M) member Sitaram Yechuri said.
