Jalandhar bypoll: Poll code violation: Opposition demands action against AAP MLAs
Separate delegations of the Punjab Congress and the BJP on Thursday met chief electoral officer Punjab, C Sibin, demanding action against AAP MLAs for allegedly violating the model code of conduct in the recently held Jalandhar bypoll
Separate delegations of the Punjab Congress and the BJP on Thursday met chief electoral officer (CEO) Punjab, C Sibin, demanding action against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs for allegedly violating the model code of conduct in the recently held Jalandhar bypoll.
Led by Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Punjab Congress delegation, which met Sibin in Chandigarh, submitted a complaint against half a dozen AAP MLAs and leaders hailing from other constituencies, who were seen around the polling booths in the Jalandhar constituency on the polling day.
Warring warned that if no action was initiated by those at the helm, the Congress would be left with no option but to file a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Meanwhile, a BJP delegation also called on Punjab Election Commission to submit a formal complaint against AAP for flouting norms on polling for Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll conducted on Wednesday.
Leading the delegation, vice-president of the Punjab unit of BJP Dr Subhash Sharma said, “No FIR has been registered so far even though we brought the issue into the notice of local administration,” he said.
A formal complaint has also been registered by the State party president Ashwani Sharma to the ECI.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa said the FIR registered against Baba Bakala MLA, Dalbir Singh Tong is “mere eyewash” as there is no mention of the violations nor is the name of the MLA mentioned in the FIR.
“The FIR is a blank paper only as there is nothing in it,” Bajwa said.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has also appealed ECI to register a case against all AAP MLAs and other leaders who were seen near polling booths.
SAD also demanded action against Punjab CEO C Sibin, Jalandhar deputy commissioner Jaspreet Singh and Jalandhar Rural SSP Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar for “colluding with AAP to help its candidate in the byelection.” Former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said CEO Punjab “compromised and had willfully not taken any action against AAP legislators and leaders.”