No Differences Within Election Commission Over Narendra Modi's Varanasi Rally: VS Sampath

New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath today asserted that all decisions that the commission he heads takes are "unanimous." He also reiterated that a proposed Narendra Modi rally in Varanasi was not allowed this week due to security concerns.  

He also pointed out that the district administration of Varanasi had offered to consider an alternative venue for Mr Modi's rally.

The Election Commission, which is conducting the mammoth exercise that is the 2014 general election,  has been locked in a bitter confrontation with the Election Commission over the denial of permission to the rally in the heart of Varanasi, from where Mr Modi is contesting his first parliament election.

The BJP renewed its attack this morning when a roadshow by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was allowed through Beniabagh, the area in which the BJP had wanted to hold its rally. The BJP's Arun Jaitley called it a "major blot on elections in India," asserting that his party was not allowed to hold the rally for "political reasons." (Blot on Democracy, says BJP on Sanctioned Route for Rahul's Roadshow)

Mr Sampath said the Election Commission had deliberated upon the BJP's application for the rally for hours. "We checked the matter at the highest level. We asked them to check the matter in depth. They were all in agreement with the security assessment of the District Magistrate. If there is security perception, the commission won't want to take a chance," he said.

A miffed BJP has also alleged that clearance for two more events planned that day came too late for the party to be able to organise them.

One of the Election Commissioners HS Brahma, had ceded yesterday that the delays were problematic, stating that a decision "either way" should have been taken and conveyed faster to the BJP. Mr Sampath denied that his colleague's comment showed differences in the poll panel. "The commission consists of three commissioners. Brahma is one of them. Whatever the decisions we have been taking we have taken them collectively...There is no difference among us," he said.  (Delays in Deciding on Modi's Varanasi Events Not Good, Cedes Election Commission)