Arvind Kejriwal to write to Election Commission on gas price hike

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal will approach the Election Commission of India (ECI) to request the electoral watchdog to not approve the near doubling of natural gas prices to about $8 from next month.

According to party members, who did not wish to be identified, Kejriwal, who has already written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking him to hold in abeyance the proposed hike in gas rate till Delhi's anti-corruption team completes its investigations into allegations of corruption against Reliance Industries, will also write to the EC on this matter on Thursday.

This move comes almost a week after the Oil ministry sought the EC's approval to announce the hike in gas price next month. The government decided to consult the EC even though the decision was taken by the Cabinet committee on Economic Affairs in December last year, much before the Model Code of Conduct kicked in. Oil secretary Saurabh Chandra has already met Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath regarding this issue and according to sources, the EC will take a decision after studying the matter.

The gas pricing issue has become an important part of AAP's main electoral pitch ahead of Lok Sabha elections with Kejriwal accusing the government of conspiring with Reliance Industries to double gas prices to ensure windfall gains for its Chairman Mukesh Ambani. AAP, when in government, had lodged FIRs against Ambani, Reliance Industries, petroleum minister M Veerappa Moily, former minister Murli Deora and former director general (hydrocarbons) V K Sibal.