In a representation to the three-member Election Commission, the Congress on Thursday stressed on single-phase assembly polls in Gujarat, while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party wanted election to be conducted in two phases.
The Congress team, led by Gujarat unit president Bharat Solanki put forward the view that he phased elections would give a chance to the ruling party to manipulate the polls while making a representation to Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy and Election Commissioners Navin Chawla and Y S Qureshi.
"In the past, all parliamentary and assembly elections in the state were held in a single day. One-day election in the state will prove to be a free and fair affair. The two-phased elections will give chance to large 'worker force' of the ruling BJP to carry out bogus voting," Solanki said.
"The state government has crossed all limits of decency and is flagrantly violating all rules and regulations, code of conduct, constitutional provisions and is misusing government machinery and funds to influence the voters during the forthcoming assembly elections," Solanki told the EC.
The Congress has demanded that the chief electoral officer in Gujarat should implement the election code of conduct immediately to stop the misuse of government machinery and funds by the BJP government.
He also demanded that officials, who are supporting the present government and have served for more than three years in one position be shifted to other department to ensure free and impartial elections.
However, the BJP and the Bahujan Samaj Party wanted the polls in at least two to four phases.
Nalin Bhatt, who joined the BSP as state unit general secretary after he was suspended from the BJP, said that assembly election should be held in four phases. Bhatt also told the EC that any possible efforts by the Gujarat administration to influence the poll process should be checked.
A BJP delegation, led by Member of Parliament Surendrabhai Patel, told the Election Commission that the elections should be held in two phases with a gap of at least five days between them.
The BJP also wants the Central government to be restrained from announcing new schemes that might have an influence in the poll-bound state. It also demanded that the ongoing projects initiated by the BJP government should not be stopped.
