Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday accused the Election Commission of being lenient in monitoring the electoral expenditure incurred at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign rallies, reports said. The former finance minister told reporters that the poll panel had failed to fulfil it duty to be bipartisan.
He was speaking to reporters in Mumbai before the fourth phase of polling in the Lok Sabha. “Unprecedented expenses for the prime minister’s rallies,” Chidambaram said. “About Rs 10 crore is spent on each rally. The Election Commission is failing the people of the country.”
The finance minister alleged that the election panel was “simply reluctant and unwilling to take action against the Bharatiya Janata Party.”
The Congress leader also claimed his party had performed significantly well in the first three phases of polling.
His statement came a day after Modi said that the Congress will get fewer than 50 seats in the Lok Sabha elections and said citizens would have to pay high taxes and face inflation if it is voted to power. Chidambaram said, “He [Modi] dreams even when he is sleeping, and even when he is awake. We cannot stop him from doing so.’’
The Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases until May 19, and results will be out on May 23.
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