Jully alleges police, administrative pressure on councillors ahead of Rajasthan civic polls

Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly Tikaram Jully on Monday accused the BJP government in the state of misusing the police, administration and other government agencies to pressure elected councillors ahead of the formation of boards in urban local bodies.

Jully alleged that councillors from Tijara were stopped by Haryana Police while returning from Shimla, while Congress councillors from Khairthal were being harassed and pressured by Khairthal police in Jaipur's Amer where they were staying.

"This is not an election, but an attempt to capture the mandate using the power of the government. It is an open violation of democratic norms and blatant misuse of government machinery," he alleged in a statement.

Referring to the Malakhera municipality in the Alwar Rural Assembly constituency, Jully alleged that GST action was initiated against Mahesh Chandra, the Congress councillor elected from Ward 13.

He alleged that revenue officials were being used to threaten demolition of the house of Manish Balai, the Congress councillor from Ward 5, to pressure him into voting for the BJP.

Jully claimed that the BJP had only two councillors in Malakhera against the 11 required to form the board.

"How many will you intimidate? How many will you threaten?" he asked, targeting Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma.

The Congress leader alleged that the police and administration were being used as instruments of political pressure to influence the election of civic body heads.

"In the urban local body elections in the state, the Congress is directly contesting against the police and administration. The BJP is the third front," Jully charged.

The election process for chairpersons is underway in 309 urban local bodies across the state.

Elections for mayors, chairpersons and presidents in 305 urban local bodies, including seven municipal corporations, will be held on Monday, followed by elections for deputy mayors, vice-chairpersons and vice-presidents on Tuesday.

Elections for the mayoral and deputy mayoral posts in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota municipal corporations and for the chairperson and vice-chairperson posts in Suket municipality in Kota will be held on September 25.