Congress moves EC against PM’s May 6 rally in MP

New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) The Congress on Wednesday petitioned the Election Commission (EC) seeking its direction against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election rally to be held in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, on May 6.

According to the Congress memorandum, on the same day (May 6), the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections will take place in the Damoh parliamentary constituency, which is just 10 km from the venue of the Prime Minister's rally. This could affect the polling, the Congress said.

"We would like to point out that on May 6 polling would be underway in the town/village of Dhana, Sagar (where the airstrip for Sagar is located), not even 10 km from the site of the PM's rally. The peculiar problem is that three Tehsils and Vidhan Sabha constituencies of Sagar district like Banda, Rehli and Deori form part of the Damoh parliamentary constituency," said the Congress memorandum.

"The PM will be conducting his election rally seeking votes for the Bharatiya Janata Party at Kajlivan Ground in Sagar between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on May 6 during the entire duration of the voting taking place merely 10 km away from the site of the rally.

"The rally has a very high potential of materially affecting the results of the elections being organised on the same day at a neighbouring constituency in the same district," the Congress said.

The Madhya Pradesh Congress unit has already brought the matter to the notice of the Chief Election Commissioner of the state on April 30, the Congress said.

The party further said that the Prime Minister being an SPG protectee would also require the deployment of a large number of administrative personnel, including the police force, and this may affect the polling.