The BJP delegation comprising of N Sitharaman, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Bhupender Yadav and Kailash Vijayvargiya today approached the Election Commission demanding increased security forces deployment in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha assembly polls.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad after BJP delegation meeting with Election Commission in Delhi today: We have conveyed to the EC that Bengal’s track record in free & fair election is very very deplorable. Recently, 100 people were killed during local body&gram panchayat polls. https://t.co/pbgPOe8lOL
— ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2019
Requesting the EC to declare West Bengal as a super-sensitive state, Ravi Shankar Prasad asserted that Bengal’s dismal record in conducting free and fair elections is suggestive of the need to have additional security forces to man the polling booths. He also highlighted killings of 100 people in the recently concluded local body and gram panchayat polls in West Bengal.
We’ve requested EC to take action against #RahulGandhi for leveling unverified allegations against PM in his Ahmadabad rally yesterday, when the Model Code of Conduct is already in effect – @rsprasad to EC
— ABP News (@abpnewstv) March 13, 2019
Ravi Shankar Prasad further requested the Election Commission to initiate action against Rahul Gandhi for levelling unfounded allegations against PM Modi in his Ahmedabad rally yesterday, after the Model code of conduct had already kicked in.
Use of violence to browbeat opponents during the election time in Bengal is not a new phenomenon. In the past, the Trinamool Congress workers had attacked Panchayat candidates in West Bengal, forcing them to file their nominations via Whatsapp. It is also alleged that many opposition leaders are routinely thrashed by the workers of the ruling party TMC in West Bengal.
