By IANS,
Lucknow : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday accused Chief Minister Mayawati of rigging the recent by-polls for four assembly seats and urged the Election Commission (EC) to deploy central paramilitary forces for next month’s by-polls to one Lok Sabha and 11 assembly seats in the state.
“By misusing the state machinery, the Mayawati-led government can any time indulge in irregularities to win the elections. Taking this into account, deployment of central forces is a must for the upcoming polls,” BJP state president Ramapati Ram Triptahi, told reporters at a press conference in Jaunpur district, some 250 km from Lucknow.
“Today everyone knows that Mayawati does not believe in constitutional norms. This violation is not new for Mayawati. Under her regime, one can never think of free and fair polls,” he said.
According to BJP members, the party leaders have faxed a letter to the Election Commission for deployment of central forces for the upcoming polls to be held in the state Nov 7.
The Election Commission Monday announced by-election for the Firozabad Lok Sabha seat and 11 Vidhan Sabha (state assembly) seats in Uttar Pradesh. The assembly seats are: Puwayab, Lucknow West, Isauli, Haiserbazar, Padrauna, Kolasala, Rari, Etawah, Bharthana, Lalitpur and Jhansi.
Nominations can be filed Oct 14-21. October 24 is the last date for withdrawal of nominations.
Following the notification of the by-elections, the model code of conduct has come into operation in Shahjahanpur, Lucknow, Sultanpur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Kushinagar, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Etawah, Auraiya, Lalitpur, Jhansi and Firozabad districts.