Raipur City District Congress Committee on Monday organised a rally to register its protest against the State Government for allegedly preventing the State Election Commission (SEC) to ‘work independently.’
A number of Congress workers led by the party’s City Wing’s chief, Vikas Upadhyay lead the rally from Congress Bhawan here. Stopped by a heavy police contingent at Majar Chowk, the protestors set on ‘dharna’ that further affected traffic flow at the busy square for about half-an-hour.
“While hearing a petition of disproportionately dividing population of recently included seven villages among different wards of Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC), the High Court put a stay on conducting polls for RMC only in its order released on November 14” said the party’s Raipur District Spokesperson, Brajesh Satpathi.
He said that SEC under pressure of the State Government wrongly interpreted of the order and put a stay on conducting polls in all civic bodies including nine Municipal Corporations, 39 Municipal Councils and 103 Nagar Panchayats in the State.
“Facing criticism from all corners over botched sterilization case, paddy procurement policy and ration card cancellation drive, the State Government is not in position to put a good show in the civic bodies’ polls, thus it has mounted pressure on SEC to hold the polls,” alleged Upadhyay.
later, a delegation of the party office-bearers met State Election Commissioner PC Dalei and handed over a memorandum, urging him to soon conduct the polls across the State, except RMC.
Upadhyay said that if SEC fails to take appropriate steps in this
regard during the next three days, a delegation of Congress party will meet the Chief Election Commssioner in New Delhi to lodge a complaint in this regard.