Kolkata, Oct 22: CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan today flayed the Vajpayee government for raising the ceiling of expenditure by candidates in both Lok Sabha and assembly elections describing it as a 'gross violation' of democratic rules and behaviour. Reacting to the decision of the union cabinet to this effect yesterday, Bardhan told newsmen here at the end of the party's three-day national executive meeting that the Vajpayee government had not discussed it with any other political parties other than NDA partners.
Bardhan said that the government should have first discussed the issue with national and state parties. ''Even Election Commission was not consulted on this issue'', he claimed.
The CPI General Secretary said that it was a 'gross violation of democratic rules and behaviour'.
Echoing Bardhan, CPI-M politburo member Anil Biswas also took exception to the Vajpayee government's decision to raise the expenditure ceiling by the candidates.
Biswas said that an all-party meeting has been convened on October 29 to discuss poll-related issues. ''The NDA government has taken an undemocratic step by raising the expenditure ceiling before the scheduled meeting'', he said.
Bureau Report