PRI polls: After Governor, Cong approaches Election Commission

Wednesday, 15/05/2013

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Chandigarh : A day after meeting the Punjab Governor Shivraj Vishwanath Patil, a delegation of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) on Tuesday met the State Election Commissioner (SEC) S S Brar to press for its demand to ensure free and fair conduct of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) elections slated for May 19.

Led by PPCC president Partap Singh Bajwa, the Congress delegation submitted a memorandum to Brar and apprised him that despite repeated objections raised by the party, the SAD-BJP alliance was “adamant to vitiate the democratic process”. He said that SEC had a greater responsibility to uphold the sanctity of the Constitution and ensure free and fair rural elections.

PPCC president said, “SAD-BJP government was blatantly misusing the local administration and the police power across the state to coerce and intimidate the Congress candidates and further threatening them with registration of criminal cases against them in case they do not withdraw from the contest.”

Bajwa said that he had met the SEC along with senior party leaders on April 24 last and had demanded to prevent SAD-BJP government from hijacking the election process. He said that names of Congress supporters were struck off from voters’ lists and arbitrary changes were made in the area of Block Samiti and Zila Parishad zones to benefit the ruling party candidates.

In the memorandum, the main Opposition party said, “The PPCC is constrained to submit this memorandum to ensure that an atmosphere is created for the state electorate to participate in these grassroots level elections without fear, favour and intimidation.” It further stated, “These elections will completely shatter the democratic fabric in the state and throw the Panchayati Raj Institutions before power grabbers through illegitimate and illegal manner.”

Bajwa demanded deployment of Central Para Military Forces at all the polling stations, to avoid “any kind of booth capturing, intimidation by the SAD-BJP supporters”. He cited the case of West Bengal SEC, which had approached the Kolkata High Court that the rural elections in West Bengal should be held in three phases and under the Central Para Military forces, which has been upheld by the High Court.

The PPCC president also brought to the notice of SEC about failure of Punjab Police in depositing the arms from SAD supporters.