Parties cry hoarse before EC against Mulayam regime

Lucknow, Feb 28 (UNI) Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh today urged the Election Commission (EC) to review the transfer of officials by the Samajwadi Party government just before the announcement of the assembly polls and take strict measures to ensure free and fair polls, including shifting of some ''biased'' senior officers.

Terming the allegation of the opposition as baseless, the ruling SP said action against any official should be taken after a thorough probe.

All the political parties urged the EC not to make mandatary for voters to present their Election Photo Identity Cards (EPIC).

The representatives of recognised political parties today met the full bench of the EC headed by Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami during their two-day stay in the state capital.

The EC, which reached here from New Delhi this morning, met the leaders of political parties at Raj Bhawan.

BJP was the first party to meet the EC and submitted a four-page memorandum including 19 point charter of demands.

BJP state president Kesri Nath Tripathi and legislature party leader Lalji Tandon alleged some officials in the present regime are working like SP cadres. EC should review arms licence given by the UP government in the past one year, they demanded.

The BJP delegation also demanded action on violation of the model code of conduct by UP ministers. The party has also asked for a change in the date of polling on April 13 due to Baisakhi festival.

BSP general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra presenting his party's view before the EC said the ruling party planned to rig the polls in a big way. ''Appointment of policemen particularly of a certain caste in UP should be reviewed by EC,'' he said.

Congress state president Salman Khurshid and legisalture party leader Pramod Tiwari said they conveyed to the Commission about their satisfication over the arrangements made by the EC for a free and fair poll in UP.

''We highlighted the conspriacy by the SP government on tranfer of officials and gave evidence against some officials, who are working as ruling party cadre,'' they informed.

Mr Tiwari said the EC should clarify if the TV ad featuring super star Amitabh Bachchan was sponsored by the UP government or SP. He also demanded that EC put a ban on candidates with a criminal background campaigning outside their constitutency.

Samajwadi Party general secretary Ramgopal Yadav, however, rejected the allegation of the opposition parties and urged the EC to take action only after a thorough probe. ''These parties have lodged fake complaints against the ruling party,'' he claimed.

He urged the EC not to put a spanner on the ongoing schemes due to election model code of conduct and allow the government to release funds for medical purposes for people belonging to below the poverty line.

During over two-hour long meeting, the EC also met representatives of the Left parties, RLD and NCP.

Later, the EC will hold a meeting of the district officials of 43 districts, where polling is scheduled to be held in the first four phases this afternoon.

The Commission will leave for New Delhi tomorrow evening after holding a meeting with the officials of the rest 27 districts and discuss the election plan with the chief secretary and DGP.

UNI