BJP cannot air party manifesto on April 7: EC

New Delhi, April 5: In the current moment,

and the Election Commission of India are sharing a love-hate relationship. With the party set to release its election manifesto on April 7, the EC has put its foot down stating that this is a violation of Section 126(1)(b) of the Representation of People's Act.

The EC, however, does not restrict the party from using the print media to promote its promises, but electronic media could only be used after 6 pm on April 12. By this time, polling for 111 seats will have been done.

This means that none of the electronic mediums can telecast details of the manifesto till five days after its release. However, it can be resumed 48 hours prior to the end of polls.

So, the EC has set two dates for the "election matter"-before 5pm on April 5 or after April 12.

Can be aired after 6 pm on April 12. Polling for 111 would have been done then.

A move that went against BJP

The party had decided that the elements of the manifesto will be in sync with what Narendra Modi has said in the rallies. Changes were made accordingly, but when time for the release came, both Rajnath Singh and Narendra Nodi were unavailable due to campaigning.

BJP, however, is unfazed by the EC's decision and says that the manifesto will be declared on the scheduled date.

Party leader M A Naqvi in a meeting with the EC, is said to have argued that in a 9-phased election, it was natural that election rallies would be telecast in some parts of the country at any point of time.

Senior leaders of the party are unhappy with the EC and has argued that electronic media will be telecasting political rallies and speeches of all leaders when polling was going on in a certain part of the country.

OneIndia News