A two-member delegation of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CGPCC) on Tuesday met Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) VS Sampath in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum seeking cancellation of the Antagarh Assembly bypoll in Chhattisgarh .
The two member delegation of Chhattisgarh Congress comprising of CGPCC president Bhupesh Baghel and leader of Opposition in the Chhattisgarh Assembly TS Singhdeo met the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) at his office in Nirvachan Bhawan to register their complaint against what they alleged as ‘misuse of Government machinery’ and ‘use of muscle power’ by the State Government in the Antagarh Assembly bypoll scheduled on September 13 in Chhattisgarh.
Both the leaders have demanded from the Election Commission to cancel the bypoll and take action against the police and district administration of Kanker district, informed State Congress spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi.
He said that the leaders had complained to the CEC that despite repeated requests by the Congress, the nomination of its dummy candidate was rejected by the Returning Officer on directives of the ruling BJP Government in the State.
Among the remaining candidates in the fray, the candidate of Ambedkarite Party has publicly alleged that the BJP was misusing the administrative machinery to force him to withdraw his nomination, Trivedi said.
The entire election process has become bogus and under these circumstances, the ECI should cancel the election and initiate action against the district administration and the police, the leaders have requested in their memorandum.
The Congress memorandum further stated that the ‘high handedness’ of the district administration can be seen from the fact that they did not even spare the State Chief of the Congress, who was there in his capacity as the leader of recognised national party, which also happens to be the single largest Opposition party in the State.
It further mentioned that the State Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel was confined to his hotel room by the district police from evening of August 29 and August 30 morning by the district police and was literally under house arrest.
The memorandum also stated that the electricity of the hotel, where Baghel was staying was also disconnected.
The party further stated that when a State leader of a recognised national party is treated in this manner, then it can very well be imagined as to the length to which the ruling party and the local administration would have gone to while dealing with other Independent candidates and the candidates of other smaller parties.
The memorandum also mentioned that out of the candidates, who had filed their nomination, one nomination was rejected and 10 were withdrawn, leaving the field wide open for the BJP candidate.