A day before the first phase of elections in Jharkhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expressed reservations about the neutrality of district administration and urged the election commission to take cognizance of their complaint especially in the wake of incidents of scuffle between party workers and district administration in Daltonganj.
“Our suspicion was that government machinery will be misused during election which has already been started. Transfer and posting done by government before election is tantamount to electoral corruption apart from economic corruption on the part of government. Our fear that the coalition government is being run for elections is turning out to be true,” said state president of BJP, Ravindra Kumar Rai.
The saffron party tried to convey alleged impartiality on the part of district administration and blamed Daltonganj administration of willfully obstructing public functions organized for party candidate while allowing representatives of other parties to carry out poll activities unhindered.
“Our MP Manoj Tiwari was stopped while he was going to attend party function and permits to organise events were demanded whereas representatives of other parties who can influence polls were allowed to carry on their activities without checking their permits,” pointed out Rai.
Meanwhile, as 13 constituencies are set to vote for candidates contesting from the first phase constituencies the party urged election commission to ensure proper surveillance and deployment of paramilitary forces for peaceful elections. The constituencies going to poll today are incidentally known for overwhelming presence of anti-establishment forces opposed to democratic form of governance.
“We would request election commission to ensure aerial patrolling and deployment of paramilitary forces in the first phase constituencies. There are rumours that a horse-bound-gang is on the prowl in certain parts that are going to election so I would request the election commission to take note of this also,” maintained the state BJP president.
Incidentally, about 33,61,938 voters, including 15,77,090 women, will be exercising their franchise to elect their representatives from among 199 candidates in the fray. More than 3,900 polling booths have been set up in 13 constituencies and 35,425 polling personnel will be deployed to conduct free, fair and peaceful polling.