By IANS,
New Delhi : Accusing the Mayawati government of instructing officials in Rae Bareli and Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj (CSM) Nagar to act in a “blatanty biased manner” in the assembly elections, the Congress Saturday urged the Election Commission to transfer officials who were creating impediments in the party’s campaign in the two districts.
A delegation of party leaders, including Motilal Vora, Suresh Pachouri, Mukul Wasnik and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, met the full Election Commission here and said that the party was either being denied permission to hold public meetings or given it at the last minute or given for “ridiculously short periods.”
They said meetings of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is coordinating the party’s poll effort in the two districts, were being given permission “for one to one-and-a-half hours or two hours only”.
“Since such meetings invariably get delayed, the permission expires and has to be sought again and again,” Singhvi said.
“It is clear that a non-level playing field is sought to be created by the state administration and especially by the ruling party (Bahujan Samaj Party) to irreversibly prejudice the electoral interests of the Congress,” he said.
Naming officials in its repersentation, the party said biased approach had also been adopted regarding permission for helicopter landings and take offs.
“We also place on record that the illegal acts, rank favouritism and ommisions is happening under the explicit instruction of BSP Minister S.P. Maurya and Rae Bareli District Magistrate Amrita Soni,” Singhvi said.
The party said not transferring biased officials would cause “irreversible prejudice to the electoral process”.
“Our direct and categorical accusation must, pending final determination, lead to the transfer of such biased officers, at least till the completion of election process,” Singhvi said.
He said Congress workers had faced “impediments and obstruction to campaigning almost every day under the clear instructions of the ruling party and state administration”.
Singhvi said that wall writings of BSP had been allowed to continue despite complaints and “a large number of officers were openly threatening Congress workers while openly campaigning or influencing voters in favour of non-Congress parties.”
Rae Bareli is represented in the Lok Sabha by Congress president Sonia Gandhi while adjoining constituency of Amethi is represented by her son and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi.
Sonia Gandhi’s daughter Priyanka is coordinating the party’s poll effort in the presitigous constituencies and has expressed confidence about winning all the assembly segments.