On EC’s assembly polls schedule, Cong takes ‘One Nation, One Election’ jab at PM Modi

The Congress on Friday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Election Commission announced the schedule for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana.

“We were expecting that dates for all four Assemblies will be announced because only yesterday we heard the Prime Minister loudly shouting that there should be ‘One Nation, One Election’. Now if they can’t do four Assemblies together, then why do they give these hollow slogans?” Congress leader Pawan Khera told PTI.

“The expectation of the Congress is that we will win all four, two we will win in October and the other two, we’ll win in December,” he added.

The elections to the Jammu and Kashmir assembly will be held in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1. Haryana will vote in only one phase on October 1. Counting of votes in both Haryana and J&K will be held on October 4.

However, the Election Commission did not announce the schedule for Maharashtra and Jharkhand, the other two poll-bound states.

On Maharashtra, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar said assembly elections in Maharashtra, which were held along with Haryana in 2019, will be announced later due to security requirements for Jammu and Kashmir.

He said four elections are due this year and by early next year and since Jammu and Kashmir was not in the picture last time (2019-20) the poll panel decided to group two assembly elections together.

‘Frequent elections create obstacles in country’s progress’: PM Modi
In his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for ‘One Nation, One Election.’

“Frequent elections create obstacles in a country’s progress. Request everyone to come together to achieve resolve of ‘one nation, one election’,” he said.

CEC Kumar said the next set of elections will be announced after the completion of the polls in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana.