Cong accuses BSP of misusing official machinery for UP bypoll

Cong accused the BSP in UP of misusing the official machinery in the Ferozabad parliamentary seat for which bye-elections are to be held on November 7.

Congress today accused the ruling BSP in Uttar Pradesh of misusing the official machinery in the Ferozabad parliamentary seat for which bye-elections are to be held on November 7.

The administration there is openly supporting the BSP candidate. A few chosen officials have been sent to the district,some have even been sent by helicopter to facilitate their joining, AICC General Secretary in-charge of the state Digvijay Singh told reporters here.

Earlier,a delegation comprising Singh,UPCC President Rita Bahuguna Joshi and AICC Secretary Parvez Hashmi met the Chief Election Commissioner and gave a memorandum asking for action against the partisan officials and deployment of central paramilitary forces for free and fair elections.

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Singh said those officials who were removed by the EC in the last elections have been sent there and wanted a review of all the officials who were sent to Ferozabad in the last three months.

While Congress has fielded Raj Babbar as its candidate from Ferozabad,SP has fielded Dimple Yadav,the daughter-in- law of party chief Mulayam Singh. The BSP candidate from the seat is S P Singh Baghel. Both Babbar and Baghel have been MPs from the Samajwadi Party earlier. The seat was vacated by Akhilesh Yadav as he preferred to retain the Kannauj seat.

Singh said in the last parliamentary polls,some booths in the constituency had 70 to 90 per cent polling in favour of the candidate of a particular party and indicated that some officials may be behind the high voting percentage favouring a particular candidate.

The AICC General Secretary also asked for the deployment of central paramilitary forces for a fair polling and also asked the EC to appoint micro level observers.

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Pointing out several cases where Congress supporters have been on the receiving end,Singh alleged that the Ferozabad police was openly supporting the BSP candidate.

Our workers are being threatened. We have complained about it, Singh added.

Hoping for action from the EC against the errant officials,Singh said they had a specific complaint against the Superintendent of Police of Ferozabad.

The party leader said in the other assembly seats where bye-elections are being held,the model code of conduct is being violated as hand pumps are still being installed and pavements are being levelled.

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He demanded equal opportunity for all the candidates and said in Padrauna,the BSP candidate has been provided 20 security guards while Congress candidate in Bharthana is yet to be provided with security.

Asked who was the real political opponent of Congress in Ferozabad,Singh said both the SP and the BSP were the opponents.

But our contest here is with the SP, the AICC General Secretary said.

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