polls announcementNew Delhi, Oct 14 (PTI) The youth and the women wings ofthe Congress today organised a joint protest march over thedelay in the announcement of the Gujarat Vidhan Sabha polls.
Activists of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and theMahila Congress started their march from the Youth Congressoffice here on Raisina Road towards the Election Commissionoffice on Ashoka Road.
The protesters, however, were stopped midway by thepolice. During their march they raised slogans against theElection Commission and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The protesters, agitated over the Election Commissionnot announcing dates for elections in Gujarat and Himachalsimultaneously, also burnt an effigy of the prime minister,according to an IYC statement.
"This is a clear break down of the country's democracy,"the statement said.
"This action of the Election Commission has raised bigquestions on the present democratic structure of the country,"it added.
The Election Commission had on October 12 announcedAssembly elections in Himachal Pradesh in a single phase onNovember 9.
The dates for Assembly elections in Gujarat were notannounced but Chief Election Commissioner A K Joti said thepolls will be held before December 18.
"This is being done to ensure that the voting pattern ofone state does not affect the other state... polling inGujarat will be held before December 18 (when HP results areannounced)," Joti had told a press conference.
The tenure of Gujarat assembly ends on January 22.
Responding to queries on why elections in Gujarat werenot announced simultaneously with Himachal Pradesh, Joti hadsaid the imposition of Model Code with immediate effect wouldstop all government work and there was no need to prolong itbeyond the required period.
The CEC had said elections to the two states -- HP andGujarat -- were announced separately in the past too includingin 1993, 1994 and 2002.
He had said that besides availability of central forcesand festive season, the Gujarat government had told theCommission that several relief and rehabilitation works wereon in the state following the July floods. PTI SKCKIS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.