Cong asks ECI to declare BJP nominees ineligible

Bhopal, Nov 10 (UNI) The Madhya Pradesh Congress Commitee today urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to declare ineligible state Tourism Minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party's Dewas assembly constituency candidate Tukoji Rao Puar and his Sonkach counterpart Phool Chand Verma.

''The first information report registered against the duo for misbehaving with a Returning Officer (Sanjana Jain) is insufficient,'' Congress spokesman K K Mishra told reporters here today.

He alleged that the police buckled under state government pressure and adopted a ''soft'' attitude against the duo but the ECI should exercise its special rights to initiate stern action against the candidates with a view to conducting free and fair polls.

A party delegation led by Mr Mishra met Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer J S Mathur and submitted a memorandum in this regard. The delegation also provided a compact disc to Mr Mathur which recorded misbehaviour with a lady officer. Mr Mishra said that the Chief Minsiter Shivraj Singh Chouhan should dismiss Mr Puar immediately. Mr Puar allegedly threw papers at Ms Jain at her Dewas office in Mr Verma's presence.

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