'Guj CEO's decision on kiosk allocation against natural justice'

VADODARA: Unhappy over Gujarat chief electoral officer's (CEO) rejection of his demand for kiosks at prime locations, Vadodara Congress candidate Madhusudan Mistry has accused the local administration of bias. Mistry said the CEO was misled by Vadodara election officers about the entire issue that led to the rejection of his demand. Mistry again wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Gujarat CEO and district election officer on Friday to clarify on his demand about kiosks at prime locations.
Mistry, who is contesting against chief minister Narendra Modi from Vadodara parliamentary constituency, had resorted to theatrics by climbing an electricity pole and covering Modi's poster with Congress party's in Dandia Bazaar on Thursday. "The CEO rejected our demand as it was misled by local election officers. We had clearly said we want the kiosks at prime locations. It wasn't about numbers but about locations of the kiosks. I have appealed to them to reconsider their decision," Mistry told TOI.
His letter said, 'The issue is BJP has already been given 1,000 prime road locations from Chhani Jakat Naka to Nizampura to collector's office to Dandia Bazaar. Hence, on all the electricity poles in the main city, BJP has put its candidate's kiosks while Congress has not put even one.'
Mistry added that he strongly felt that the Gujarat CEO has erred in arriving at the decision of allotting kiosks. "Hardly 10,000 people pass from the road where the kiosks have been allotted to us but about 1 lakh people pass from the areas where the BJP has its kiosks. I feel that the decision of Gujarat CEO is against natural justice," he said. Gujarat CEO, Anita Karwal wasn't available for her comments.
State cabinet minister Saurabh Patel said by doing such acts Mistry was only damaging his party. "This is not expected from a person of his stature. It is unfortunate that such acts are being used to get publicity instead of doing something for the people," he said. Sources said DEO sent a report to Gujarat CEO on the basis of report from Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC).