Gurdaspur bypolls: BJP accuses Congress of threatening opponents, seeks deployment of paramilitary forces

Chandigarh: A senior BJP leader on Friday wrote to the Election Commission seeking deployment of paramilitary forces and videography of polling booths for the 11 October Gurdaspur bypoll in Punjab, alleging that the ruling Congress was using state machinery to threaten political opponents. [caption id=“attachment_3893853” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, Manoranjan Kalia also demanded that all officers who hail from Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency be immediately shifted out of the area. He alleged that the Congress was using state machinery for political gains and “it had broken all records of violation of the Model Code of Conduct in order to win the Gurdaspur seat by hook or by crook”. “We have brought to your kind notice a number of instances where ruling Congress is misusing government machinery. The local police are being used to threaten the political opponents”, he alleged. He also sought deployment of paramilitary forces in all booths of the constituency and videography of all booths. Kalia named certain police and administrative officials who, he alleged, “were openly campaigning for the Congress and putting pressure on the BJP’s supporters to support the ruling party”. He demanded that they be shifted out immediately. “We have been informed that many other officers who belong to Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency and who should have been posted out as per the instructions of the ECI, have also managed to retain their place of posting with the connivance of district administration,” he alleged. The Gurdaspur bypoll, scheduled for 11 October, was necessitated following the death of BJP MP Vinod Khanna earlier this year. The investigative agency also handed over summons to relatives of Rahmathullah, asking him to appear before the agency in Kochi, they added.