Top Maya babus in Opposition’s firing line

During the meeting with Quraishi and two other commissioners — HS Brahma and VS Sampath — who are in Lucknow for a two-day visit,beginning Friday,for assessing poll preparedness in the state,the BJP leaders led by Shyam Nandan Singh said free and fair polls in the state are not possible till the top officers are removed. They told the CEC that these officers were affecting holding of free and fair polls.

The party also handed over an 18-point memorandum to the EC which demanded,among others,removal of all those ministers against whom the Lokayukta was investigating complaints. It alleged that the government had violated the model code by starting construction near the Polytechnic crossing in Gomti Nagar to erect seven statues on road side.

The SP also submitted a list of district magistrates (DMs),accusing them of committing “atrocities” on its party workers. It said that the commission should preferably deploy employees of the Central government as polling staff.

A delegation of Congress leaders complained that a part of government machinery,particularly the DMs,is acting in a biased manner in favour of the ruling BSP and harassing party workers and functionaries. The leaders told the EC that the police chief of Ghazipur had lodged false FIRs against Congress workers. Besides,certain DMs were obstructing the party’s political campaign and other normal political activities. It termed filing of FIRs as unwarranted and unlawful and an “attempt to stifle free campaign and preparation”.

Further,the party said that no person was a candidates until and unless EC notified dates for nomination. Therefore,expenses incurred before this date cannot be considered election expenses. It said that the district administration of Sitapur and Lakhimpur had asked party general secretary Rahul Gandhi to furnish the accounts of expenditure incurred in his public meetings and threatened that this expenditure would be counted towards the expense of Congress candidates who will contest the elections.

The delegation,led by CLP leader Pramod Tewari,complained against the Vishva Hindu Parishad,saying that at a press conference of its acting president Praveen Togadia in Lucknow on Thursday,a banner was displayed on which derogatory words had been used for AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi. It said that it amounted to the violation of the model code of conduct and the commission should take appropriate action on against them.PTI inputs