Sensitive booths: HC notice to EC

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court on Thursday issued notice to the Election Commission of India over a petition seeking declaration of all 113 polling booths of Gondal assembly constituency in the Porbandar

Lok Sabha

seat as sensitive.


Petitioner’s advocate Dipen Desai demanded that since 113 booths in Gondal assembly constituency are critical, the authorities be asked to deploy military/para military/Rapid

Action Force

on these booths.

The HC has sought EC’s reply by April 22, a day before the polls in Gujarat. A candidate Jigneshbhai Rank’s supporter, Rajesh

Sakhiya

filed the petition complaining against ex-Gondal BJP MLA Jairajsinh Jadeja’s alleged terror in the region so that people living in the area are not ready to volunteer as polling agents. He has urged the HC to direct election authorities to permit to appoint polling agents from different constituency on polling booths in this constituency.

The petitioner informed the HC that during the 2017 assembly polls, Jadeja’s wife Gitaba was contesting poll from Gondal seat. Jadeja was convicted by the HC in a murder case. The Supreme Court granted him bail on condition to stay out of Gujarat during the elections.

The petitioner also cited an example of a TADA convict Anirudhsinh Jadeja, who is accused of campaigning for BJP candidates in

Rajkot district

even while he was lodged in jail. He used to come out of prison for medical treatment.