BJP hits back at Congress, says Rahul, Sonia Gandhi had converted PMO into puppet for 10 years

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New Delhi: Hitting back at the Congress for terming the Election Commission a "puppet", the BJP on Thursday said that puppetry is the "art of the Congress".

The saffron party also said that the attack by Congress on the poll body shows their "dynastic arrogance".

The BJP added that Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi had converted "even the office of the Prime Minister into a puppet for 10 years".

"Sheer pettiness of Congress to call ECI names is glaring. You loved it when the same ECI declared Ahmed Patel winner in RS polls," tweeted GVL Narasimha Rao, national spokesperson, BJP.

"Why are you taking out your anger now on the ECI for the spontaneous support to the PM? Isn't it too much to expect the ECI to act as Parivar's Darbaris? Dynastic arrogance of Nehru dynasty is on vulgar display in its frontal attack on the ECI. How dare you give a notice to King Rahul? The same mentality evident in PM being called 'neech, tu chai bech' or CEC as a puppet. Request media not to fail in duty and object to such abuse," he said.

The Congress on Thursday accused the Election Commission of having become a "puppet" in the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who it said was breaking rules in a last bid to save the BJP's "sinking ship" in Gujarat.

"Dynastic arrogance" of Nehru dynasty is on vulgar display in its frontal attack on ECI. "How dare you give a notice to King Rahul?". The same mentality evident in PM being called "neech, tu chaibech" or CEC as a puppet. Request media not to fail in duty & object to such abuse. https://t.co/Vc6ChzRKgn — GVL Narasimha Rao (@GVLNRAO) December 14, 2017

Does @INCIndia only like such Election Commissioners? RahulG, You & Mom converted even the Office of PM into a puppet for 10 years? Puppetry is your art. Find better excuses for impending defeat.Verbal abuse is no substitute for a massive election defeat.https://t.co/NFYoRIY4q5 — GVL Narasimha Rao (@GVLNRAO) December 14, 2017

The BJP and the Congress were locked in a war of words after PM Modi voted in Ahmedabad and then went around the area, flashing his finger with the voter mark.

The Congress complained to the EC that PM Modi held a roadshow in Ranip area.

Afer casting his vote, the PM stood on the steps of his vehicle and waved to the cheering crowds. His 97-year-old mother Hiraba, who lives in Gandhinagar with the PM's younger brother Pankaj Modi, also voted in Gandhinagar North.

The Congress accused the EC of ignoring the BJP`s and Modi`s violations of the model code of conduct. Congress activists staged a demonstration outside the office of the poll panel in New Delhi. 

The districts were elections were held on Thursday included Banaskantha, Patan, Sabarkantha, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Panchmahal, Dahod, Kheda, Anand, Vadodara and Chhota Udepur.

In the 2012 Gujarat Assembly polls, the BJP had won 115 seats, while the Congress had bagged 61. 

(With IANS inputs)