Coimbatore : CPIM General Secretary, Seetharam Yechury Friday alleged that Election Commission was deliberately delaying the announcement of Lok Sabha election dates to favour ruling BJP.

Addressing a public meeting here tonight, Yechury said that the general elections were announced on March five in 2014. But, despite the date being March 8, the Commission was yet to announce the dates.

“It is being deliberately delayed for BJP’s election campaign, by using public money. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is on political campaign in the name of government schemes,” he alleged.

“Modi is saying that he is the Chowkidar (Watchman) of the country. But, this chowkidar has failed to protect the country and made worse than ever,” Yechury said.

Lauding the Air Force surgical strike at Balakot in Pakistan, he alleged that Modi however was politicising the achievement for his petty electoral gains.

Stating that there were 109 terror attack during the 10-year rule of UPA, while Modi’s five year rule it was 626 attacks, he said that 139 soldiers were killed by terror attack in UPA 2, which was 483 soldiers in Modi’s rule.

During the NDA rule nearly 1.10 crore youth remain unemployed and. large number of small and medium scale industries were shut down following the Demonetization and GST, he said.