Cong, BJP allege large-scale violence, rigging in UP civic poll

Lucknow, Nov 10 (UNI) Alleging large-scale violence in the just concluded three-tier urban local body polls, Congress and BJP today charged the ruling Samajwadi Party with misusing the government machinery in winning most of the nagar palika and nagar panchayat chairman seats.

Raising the issue in UP assembly, Congress legislature party leader Pramod Tiwari said the ruling party had misused the official machinery to enable victory of its candidates.

Raising the issue of Moradabad, where the BJP candidate was defeated by a slender magin by SP, Mr Tiwari said the activities of the district officials proved they were under pressure from the ruling party.

The house also witnessed noisy scenes when the treasury bench and the Opposition clashed over rigging in civic poll. They blamed each other for irregularities to win the election.

State parliamentary affairs minister Mohd Azam Khan said it was for the first time that winning party was complaining of rigging.

He claimed the election was free and fair and only 15 incidents of violence were reported during the three-phase elections. In 2000 poll, there were 59 incidents of violence, he claimed.

Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey, however, removed from proceedings, some statements made by the members on the activities of the State Election Commission (SEC), which had conducted the civic poll.

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