SAD: Scrap election where papers rejected en masse

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Bathinda, Feb 7

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today demanded the municipal elections be annulled at all places where the nomination papers of Opposition candidates had been rejected en masse even as it called for immediate deployment of paramilitary forces to ensure free and fair polls at remaining places.

CM hasn’t kept his promise

CM Capt Amarinder Singh has gone back on the promise to ensure free and fair elections. We are left with no option but to approach courts as well as Governor VP Singh Badnore. — Daljit Singh Cheema, SAD Leader

EC can have relook at nominations

The SAD seems to have deliberately filed wrong nominations. The EC can take a relook at their papers. If provisions allow, they may be allowed to contest even if it means postponing election for a day or so.— Sunil Jakhar, PPCC Chief

Addressing a press conference here, former minister and SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said the nomination papers of Opposition party candidates had been rejected en masse in Zira where all 17 Congress candidates had been elected unopposed. He said Congressmen had also been declared elected unopposed in eight of 15 seats in Guruharsahai, seven of 11 in Maluka, five of 13 in Mehraj, four of 13 in Bhai Roopa, six in Mandi Gobindgarh and eight seats in Ferozepur. He said similarly, nomination papers of SAD candidates had been rejected in seven seats of Gidderbaha.

Demanding repoll in all these seats, Cheema said the municipal elections had become one in which the state was contesting against the people. “Even Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has become party to this and gone back on the promise to ensure free and fair elections made during the all-party meeting recently,” said Cheema.

“Never before has the State Election Commission been so ineffective. It is refusing to even take note of the rejection of nomination papers of opposition members and has not taken any action in cases of violence against them,” he said.

In Bathinda, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the Congress government had murdered democracy by supervising the cancellation of more than 500 nomination papers of party candidates.

He too attacked the SEC for becoming a mute spectator to all this. “While the police force is dissuading candidates to withdraw from the fray, health and drug inspectors are carrying out raids on the premises of businesses of SAD candidates to intimidate them. If we return to power, we will punish such officers,” he said.