The Chief Election Commissioner AK Joti on Sunday denied reports that he had taken favour from the Gujarat government to retain a bungalow for his family in Ahmedabad.
"I have not taken any undue favour. I requested the Gujarat government to allow me (alongwith the family) to stay in Ahmedabad. I have paid the rent as per the norms," Joti was quoted as saying to the Times Of India.
He also said that he was allocated a house in Delhi only after a year of his appointment in the Election Commission. Hence, it was difficult for him to move his family from Ahmedabad.
News website The Wire had earlier cited from a case filed by a senior police officer at the Central Administrative Tribunal, Guwahati bench, showing that Joti had not vacated a bungalow allotted to him by the Gujarat government in Ahmedabad while he was in government service until at least late 2016.
The allegation comes at a time when the EC is already facing criticism for delay in announcing dates for Gujarat elections. The CEC, however, has defended the action saying that multiple factors including the weather, had come into play when deciding why to hold elections in Himachal Pradesh earlier than Gujarat.
The CEC further said, in an interview to the ANI, the election commission will plan the poll schedule in Gujarat in such a way "the outcome of the result should not affect the voting in Gujarat."
Prime minister Narendra Modi too on Sunday tried to shut the "unnecessary criticism."
"The Congress has no moral right to question the Constitutional body," Modi said addressing a gathering in Vodadara.
On October 12, the EC had announced Assembly poll schedule for Himachal Pradesh but did not announce the dates for Gujarat, only saying that it would go to the polls before December 18.
This has been questioned by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, senior leader P Chidambaram and some others in the Congress party.
