CPI-M urges poll panel to ensure fair civic poll counting

The CPI-M urged the West Bengal State Election Commission to take proper steps so that there was no foul play during Tuesday's counting of votes for the just concluded civic polls.

"There is a need to ensure flawless counting of votes. We have asked the state election commission (SEC) to install CCTVs in the counting centres," Communist Party of India-Marxist state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra told media persons here on Monday.

Mishra expressed concern over the process of selecting the counting personnel and said his party has written to the SEC about it.

"We have informed the SEC about how the counting personnel were selected," he said.

The senior Marxist leader asked people to gather outside the counting centres while staying within the confines of the law.

"It is time people realise their rights and we'll not budge an inch from our struggle to ensure the rights of people are justly protected," he said.

On the April 30 general strike called by the Left Front, Mishra said all other political parties should join it.

"I invite all democracy loving people to join the strike," he said.

Mishra assured that the rescue operations related to earthquake struck Nepal will be kept outside the ambit of the strike.

"Like any other emergency situation, it will not get affected," he said.

He also said nobody would be allowed to disrupt the strike.

"We won't tolerate it if anybody forcefully tries to disrupt the strike," he said.