PANAJI: Alleging that the candidates of the Congress as well as the Nationalist Congress Party have gone berserk and using money as well muscle power to intimidate voters in their respective constituencies, the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Mr Manohar Parrikar, on Tuesday, said that a delegation of the BJP led by him met the state Chief Electoral Officer, Mr S Kumarswamy, earlier in the day, and demanded that measures be immediately taken to curb such practices.
Later, during a press conference, informing the media about the complaint of the BJP, Mr Parrikar said that a number of people of unknown origin are moving with many Congress and NCP candidates like Mr Manohar Azgaonkar and Mr Yuri Alemao in their constituencies, and either distributing money or threatening the voters.
"We therefore, demanded that all people of unknown origin, who are not in any way connected or linked to these constituencies, should be asked to vacate the said constituency," he added.
"Furthermore, the flying squads are non-effective in constituencies like Sanguem, Valpoi, Poriem and Cuncolim because of the connivance of local police with the ministers contesting elections," the written complaint of the BJP stated, pointing out that the Central Reserve Police Force or the Central Paramilitary Force should be deployed in place of local police for those candidates under the Z Category security.
"The Valpoi candidate, Mr Vishwajeet Rane should not be entitled to any police squad because he does not fall in the Z category security," the complaint added, further demanding that the local police posted at present on the flying squad of these candidates should also be replaced by a new batch of policemen.
Speaking further, Mr Parrikar said that the election vehicles taken on rent from private parties should be issued valid authorised passes instead of plain stickers, which are now being pasted on the windscreens of cars on election duty.
"This is essential because of the possibility of these stickers being duplicated and used for nefarious electoral activities by political activists," he added, pointing out that some vehicles having such duplicate passes are used to carry huge amount of money.
Mr Parrikar also demanded that St Andre, Taleigao, Shiroda, Sanguem, Valpoi and Cuncolim constituencies should be declared sensitive, and CRPF be activated in these constituencies.
"In addition, vehicular movement of four wheelers and two wheelers should be restricted after 10 at night on March 1 and 2, 2012, especially in remote areas where strict checking should be carried out," he noted.
Speaking to the media, Mr Parrikar appealed to the voters of Porvorim, Bicholim and Fatorda constituencies to vote for BJP candidates, while urged to the voters of Priol and Quepem constituencies to vote for the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party candidates.
"Please don’t vote for any other candidates in these constituencies, who are claiming to have the support of the BJP as these are ‘duplicate’ candidates," he appealed.
