Badal accuses Congress of manipulating voter lists

Jalandhar, July 8 (UNI) Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) president and former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today charged the ruling Congress with using the government machinery to manipulate the voter lists and said his party will take action against the guilty.

Talking to reporters here, Mr Badal said he had received complaints that in a number of places the electoral rolls were being manipulated for the advantage of the ruling party.

He demanded the practise should be immediately stopped and all measures should be taken to ensure the sanctity of the electoral rolls or the SAD will be forced to take steps to bring the guilty to book.

Mr Badal also reiterated that his party was open for alliance or understanding with any party to defeat ruling Congress in the coming assembly elections.

However, he ruled out possibility of understanding with other Akali Dal factions and dismissed them as neither having any standing nor public support to defeat the Congress.

He said that SAD-BJP alliance was functioning well and would continue.

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