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Journalism of Courage
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today visited Chief Election Commissioner T.S. Krishnamurthy, asking him not to pay any heed to ‘‘bogus complaints’’ being lodged against the Samajwadi Party.
With by-elections to a dozen Assembly and two Lok Sabha seats — including Akbarpur vacated by BSP chief Mayawati — scheduled for October 13, Singh claimed that several ‘‘non-serious’’ parties were lodging ‘‘baseless allegations’’ with the EC against his party.
Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami today went on a tour of Lucknow to review preparations in the wake of countermanding of polls in Akbarpur.
‘‘We told the Election Commission not to look into false complaints and baseless allegations of such parties that have no mass base and whose deposits are usually forfeited,’’ Mulayam told reporters here.
‘‘These parties,’’ he said, ‘‘have not opened election cells but complaint cells.’’ The CEC has assured him of a free and fair poll, he said.
