Former Chief Election Commissioner TS Krishnamurthy on Friday said the upcoming Lok Sabha elections could be marked by “more money, violence and hatred” because of the manner in which political parties were fighting amongst themselves. The elections are expected in April and May but the dates have not yet been announced.
“More money will be spent, more violence will be there, more hatred will be there, I suppose,” Krishnamurthy told PTI when asked about the polls. “Every conceivable complication will take place because of the way in which political parties are fighting amongst themselves.”
Krishnamurthy, as chief of the Election Commission, was in charge of the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. He dismissed the Opposition’s claims that the Election Commission was deliberately delaying announcing the election dates. Krishnamurthy also expressed confidence that the poll panel was capable of facing challenges in the run-up to the elections.
“There is a date by which the House has to be constituted,” he said. “So long as the schedule is such that it ensures constitution of the Lok Sabha, we have to leave it to the discretion of the EC to decide, because they have to take into considerations conditions in various states.”
Congress MP Ahmed Patel on Monday had inquired if the poll panel was waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s travel programmes to conclude before announcing dates for the elections.
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