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Cong youth, women wings protest delay in Gujarat assembly

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Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Oct 14 2017 | 9:57 PM IST
The youth and the women wings of the Congress today organised a joint protest march over the delay in the announcement of the Gujarat Vidhan Sabha polls.
Activists of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and the Mahila Congress started their march from the Youth Congress office here on Raisina Road towards the Election Commission office on Ashoka Road.
The protesters, however, were stopped midway by the police. During their march they raised slogans against the Election Commission and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The protesters, agitated over the Election Commission not announcing dates for elections in Gujarat and Himachal simultaneously, also burnt an effigy of the prime minister, according to an IYC statement.
"This is a clear break down of the country's democracy," the statement said.
"This action of the Election Commission has raised big questions on the present democratic structure of the country," it added.

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The Election Commission had on October 12 announced Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh in a single phase on November 9.
The dates for Assembly elections in Gujarat were not announced but Chief Election Commissioner A K Joti said the polls will be held before December 18.
"This is being done to ensure that the voting pattern of one state does not affect the other state... polling in Gujarat will be held before December 18 (when HP results are announced)," Joti had told a press conference.
The tenure of Gujarat assembly ends on January 22.
Responding to queries on why elections in Gujarat were not announced simultaneously with Himachal Pradesh, Joti had said the imposition of Model Code with immediate effect would stop all government work and there was no need to prolong it beyond the required period.
The CEC had said elections to the two states -- HP and Gujarat -- were announced separately in the past too including in 1993, 1994 and 2002.
He had said that besides availability of central forces and festive season, the Gujarat government had told the Commission that several relief and rehabilitation works were on in the state following the July floods.

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First Published: Oct 14 2017 | 9:57 PM IST

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