CPI(M) lodges complaint to EC before Bengal elections

Kolkata, May 2 (UNI) Ahead of tomorrow's polling, the CPI(M) in West Bengal today lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission demanding ''strong punitive action'' against two Congress workers in Murshidabad district for their ''repeated unauthorised entry into the poll despatch and receiving centres at Behrampore''.

In an urgent fax message to Chief Election Commissioner B B Tandon, senior CPI(M) state Secretariat member Madan Ghosh urged him to '' inititiate appropriate and immediate action '' against the two Congress workers -- Jayanta Chowdhury and Anupam Saha for indulging in unauthorised work before the elections.

In the fourth phase of assembly elections, 57 seats in Murshidabad, Birbhum and Burdwan are going to the polls.

Mr Ghosh in his complaint said both Mr Chouwdhury and Mr Saha were not only found ''interacting freely with polling personnel'' in DC and RC, but were also found ''handling the electronic voting machines(EVMs) at the polling centres at Behrampore Girls College and the Behrampore College of Commerce''.

Describing such unauthorised movements inside the polling material distribution centres as ''totally illegal'', Mr Ghosh also urged the CEC to find out at whose behest and indulgence they were working.

A copy of the letter was also sent to CPI(M) All India General Secretary Prakash Karat and to State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Debashis Sen.

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