Kolkata: The West Bengal BJP leadership on Sunday accused the state ruling party Trinamool Congress of threatening the state election commissioner and reiterated their demand that central forces be brought in during the coming state Panchayat polls.
"The Trinamool Congress is threatening the state election commissioner A.K. Singh and forcing him to work in their party's favour. The commissioner is also crumbling under pressure," BJP National Secretary Rahul Sinha told the media here.
"Trinamool is planning to deploy party cadres dressed as civic volunteers on the polling day to rig the elections. Deployment of central forces and their proper utilisation is the only way to ensure free and fair election. It should not be like previous years when the forces were sent to roam around 'Hazarduari' (a historical monument in Murshidabad district)," he said.
Sinha also demanded that the election commission start accepting the nomination papers online and said the rural polls should be conducted under the Calcutta High Court's supervision.
"The commission should cancel the disputed polling date on May 14. They should accept fresh nomination papers online. That would make the election process much more peaceful. The Panchayat polls should take place under the High Court's supervision," he said.
Accusing Trinamool backed miscreants of unleashing large scale pre-poll violence on their activists, the BJP leader said more than 60 of their workers have gone missing since the polls were announced in April.
"A large number of our activists have been attacked since the Panchayat election was announced. More than 60 are missing. Also a lot of women activists of the party were heckled and beaten up by the ruling party cadres during this time," he added.