Differences between us? No, we are a team: EC

The Election Commission on Friday night dismissed suggestions of differences among its three Commissioners and said it disposes of complaints of model code of conduct violation expeditiously.

On BJP's allegations of bias in denying Narendra Modi to hold programmes in Varanasi, EC said in a statement that it acted with "full alacrity" and after verifying ground realities from the district administration, which were further got verified at the level of the chief secretary and the DGP of Uttar Pradesh, and a suitable reply was sent to leaders of the party.

"The full Commission would like to clarify that the top leadership, comprising all the three Commissioners, functions and acts as a team and is discharging its constitutional responsibilities with firmness and with the required promptitude", the statement said.

It said the poll body "reaffirms that there is complete coordination amongst the Commissioners and all decisions are taken after due deliberation and in unanimity."

The EC statement came hours after Election Commissioner H S Brahma told a news channel that differences, if any, between the three Commissioners should not come out in open.

He also said the EC should have responded to letters by BJP's Arun Jaitley immediately.

Brahma said there was a lack of communication between the Varanasi Returning Officer and BJP on the issue of granting the party permission to hold rally in Beniyabagh locality of Varanasi.

The EC statement said that as regards the Varanasi issue, "the Commission has acted with full alacrity and after verifying ground realities from the district administration which were further got verified at the level of Chief Secretary and DGP and a suitable reply was sent to the leaders of the party."

It has been approved by Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath and Election Commissioners Nasim Zaidi and H S Brahma, the statement said.

The EC denied "it is taking more than normal time to take action against poll rule violations.

"Most of the violations are disposed of with promptitude. However, the subjects, which require minute inputs from the field and requiring further verifications, take a little more time and are accordingly disposed of," the statement said.