Chhattisgarh Congress demands cancellation of Antagarh by-poll

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Congress has demanded cancellation of the controversial Antagarh by-election and requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to investigate the role of the police and administrative officials in allegedly pressurizing candidates to withdraw their nominations in order facilitate the victory of the ruling BJP nominee.
In a letter to the ECI, Congress leaders, TS Singh Deo and Bhupesh Bhagel, have said in following the surfacing of the allegations of “poll fixing” by the BJP, the said election could not be termed as “fair and free”.Demanding that the results of the poll be declared “null and void”, the Congress leaders said it is abundantly clear that post nomination forms' scrutiny, the BJP led government “conspired and colluded” with certain Congress leaders and senior officers to pressurize the candidates to withdraw their nominations.
They said the police and the administration were “greatly misused” to pressurize and lure the candidates to withdraw their nominations in order to ensure the victory of the BJP candidate. The two leaders said the ECI’s investigations into the case should include a scrutiny of the mobile and land line telephone numbers of local officials, including lG Bastar, SPs of Dhamtari and Kanker, Returning Officers of Kanker and Officers of Chief Minister's Secretariat, BJP' State Office bearers of Kanker and Dhamatari districts, in order to reveal the entire conspiracy.
The Congress leaders alleged that since Maoism affects the entire constituency of Antagarh, the police threatened to book the candidates, their relatives and supporters under false cases if they refused to withdraw their candidature. Stating that such coercive methods were a threat to democracy, the two congress leaders said the cancellation of Antagarh by-poll is necessary in order to protect democratic values.