Election 2019

CPI(M) urges EC to ensure free, fair polling in Bengal on Sunday

Sitaram Yechury

New Delhi | The CPI(M) has written to the Election Commission, urging it to deploy central forces present in West Bengal to build confidence among people for the final phase of voting on Sunday.

It said the central forces are not being deployed for polling and the promised route marches by them are “not taking place”. Polling for nine seats in the state is to be held on Sunday.

Violence has marred polling in West Bengal during the previous six phases. It spread to the streets of Kolkata on Tuesday, when suspected TMC and BJP workers clashed during a roadshow of saffron party chief Amit Shah.

A bust of polymath and social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was damaged. Both the parties have blamed each other for its desecration.

“Though central forces are present in the state, they are not being deployed to create confidence among people regarding the conduct of a free and fair poll. The promised route marches by the CRPF is not taking place. This should immediately be rectified and the CEC must direct the compliance of its earlier directives,” said the CPI(M) letter to the EC.

A CPI(M) delegation including party general secretary Sitaram Yechury and politburo member Hannan Mollah met the Chief Election Commissioner on Saturday.

The Left party previously demanded re-polling in 630 booths, across various constituencies, including 298 in 30-Tamluk constituency.

This re-polling has become essential due to large-scale disturbances reported in many polling booths, it said. No decision on this matter has been taken by EC.

“We wish to once again draw your attention to the fact that the accessibility of the observers appointed by the ECI is very very limited and rare. The observers should be available to receive complaints and irregularities and must immediately intervene to do the needful,” the letter stated.

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Election 2019

After Akhilesh Yadav Chandrababu Naidu meets Mayawati

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Lucknow | TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday met leaders of the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party here, continuing his efforts to put together a coalition to form the next government at the Centre.

He reached the Uttar Pradesh capital in the evening after meetings in New Delhi with Congress president Rahul Gandhi, CPI leaders G Sudhakar Reddy and D Raja, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav.

The separate meetings with SP president Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati take place a day before polling in the last phase of elections.

The SP, BSP and RLD are in alliance in UP, taking on the BJP in the politically crucial state that sends 80 MPs to Parliament.

The Telugu Desam Party chief is pitching for anti-BJP coalition to stake claim to form a government if the numbers permit.

Naidu drove straight from Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh airport to the Samajwadi Party office. He was greeted with a bouquet by Akhilesh Yadav. The two leaders then went into a closed door meeting, SP sources said. Later, Naidu drove to Mayawati’s Mall Road Avenue residence, sources said.

The Andhra Pradesh chief minister has already held several rounds of discussions with various opposition leaders, including Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal and CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury. His TDP had been a part of the BJP-led NDA and had quit the alliance a few months ago.

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