PM Modi plays cricket on political pitch, says unlike UPA we can hold IPL with elections

After fiercely campaigning in the name of national security and Indian army, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now brought India’s favorite sporting tournament the Indian Premier League into his election campaign. Modi at an election rally in Hindaun, Rajasthan said that the Congress-led UPA government had shifted IPL out of the country twice citing security reasons.

Modi on Friday said, “IPL matches were played outside the country on two occasions, in 2009 and 2014, because the government did not give permission citing elections. They said there's election and police is busy so we cannot have IPL.”

Congress governments in 2009 and 2014 had shifted IPL as it coincided with general elections. The Manmohan Singh-led UPA government refused to commit security which forced BCCI to move the second season of the Indian Premier League to South Africa.

In 2014, the then Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde reportedly denied the paramilitary forces for the league because of the elections. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had to shift few matches outside India.

India is currently voting for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and political parties are busy doing campaigning. Modi’s rally was part of this election campaign as the BJP is looking to form the government again. The elections are being held in seven phases across India out of which three phases are still waiting to vote. The election results will be out on May 23 that will decide the fate of India’s next government at centre.

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