A BJP delegation, led by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, met the Election Commission (EC) on Monday and demanded that repolls be held in some constituencies where violence occurred in West Bengal and Central forces be deployed for free and fair counting in the State.
"We have met the Election Commissioners and informed them about the violence that had taken place in all the seven phases of the Lok Sabha polls and requested for re-polling in all the violence-affected constituencies," Goyal said after meeting EC officials. He was accompanied by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and senior BJP leaders.
Goyal said party candidates and agents, deployed in West Bengal, were being threatened and the Election Commission should take strict action against the culprits. 'We have enlisted with the EC some constituencies for repolling,' he said.
Accusing West Bengal CM of threatening BJP candidates, poll agents and party sympathisers, the BJP leader said that Mamata Banerjee has been repeatedly threatening the people of the State that 'chunao ke baad sabak sikhayengi'(she will deal with them after election) and the kind of violence seen till seven phase of general elections, it is apprehended that violence may take place again.
"We saw incidents of violence took place till the last phase of polling. There is possibility of violence even after counting of votes. So, we have requested the Commission to deploy the central forces in Electronic Voting Machine strong rooms till the end of counting to allow free and fair counting," he said.
'It is required that the EC should deploy central forces at all EVMs strongrooms. Till the Model Code of Conduct is in force, personnel already deployed should remain there so that people are reassured that no violence will be tolerated, ' Goyal added.
The senior BJP leaders also appealed to the poll panel to ensure the sanctity of the counting process in Odisha, Karnataka, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
"Independent observers must be sent in these states and CCTV cameras must be installed in all counting stations in the five States," he said.