Panchayt polls: Bengal ministers demand Chowdhury's arrest

Congress and the CPI(M) are not allowing free and fair voting in the Malda, Murshidabad districts, says Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee

Two West Bengal ministers today alleged electoral malpractices by Congress in the panchayat elections being held in its strongholds and demanded the arrest of Minister of State for Railways Adhir Chowdhury.

"Congress and the CPI(M) are not allowing free and fair voting in the Malda and Murshidabad districts. Bombs have been thrown and ballot papers snatched," Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said here.

"We have told the administration. I am surprised why the State Election Commission is silent? Why are poll observers deputed by the SEC not taking action?" Mukherjee, a senior TMC leader, told reporters here.

Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim accused Chowdhury, MP from Murshidabad district, of moving around booths with Railway Protection Force and terrorising voters.

"This is undemocratic. Is not the SEC seeing this?" he told a tv news channel.

He alleged that he had information that money was distributed to procure votes, with those who refused to accept it were threatened.

"We demand immediate arrest of Adhir Chowdhury. We on behalf of the state government will take action against him," Hakim said.

Chowdhury, however, told PTI "Voting is not being held outside the country. Is it being held in Kabul? It is for the State Election Commission to see."

Ridiculing the demand for his arrest, he said "I am sitting at home. If they want to arrest me they can come and arrest me. I have done no wrong," Chowdhury, the DCC president, said.

Yesterday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had alleged that the Congress, which has presence in Malda and Murshidabad districts, were "cooking up mischief".