Left, TMC urge EC to ensure free, fair polling

| | New Delhi
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Left, TMC urge EC to ensure free, fair polling

Sunday, 19 May 2019 | PNS | New Delhi

The Trinamool Congress and  CPI(M) have urged the  Election Commission to conduct impartial polling in West Bengal on Sunday.

TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday wrote to the Election Commission to ensure "peaceful and impartial" elections in the State without the interference of the BJP.

The EC should ensure that Sunday's polling is held without the "undue interference of the Central Government" and any intervention by the ruling party at the Centre", Banerjee said.

"In the final phase of the election, I would request your good office to kindly ensure that election is completed peacefully, impartially and without any undue interference of the Central government and any intervention by the ruling party at the centre," Banerjee wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora.

She also requested the poll body to "protect democratic institutions and federal structure of the country and extend due respect to the opposition parties , urging it to deploy central forces present in West Bengal to build confidence among people for the final phase of voting on Sunday.

The e CPI(M) has also 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".

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 Commissioneron 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.

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