Take extra precaution in Bihar, BPJ urges EC

Alleging that poll preparedness was not up to the mark, the BJP has urged the EC to take 'extra precaution' to ensure free and fair polls in the final phase.

Alleging that poll preparedness in Bihar was not up to the mark, the BJP on Friday urged the Election Commission to take 'extra precaution' to ensure free and fair polls in the remaining phase in the state.

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"We had met the Election Commission and apprised it of the possibility of misuse of official machinery and violence in Bihar and the incidents in Chapra have vindicated our apprehensions and we request for extra precaution in the remaining phase," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is also in-charge of party affairs in Bihar, told newsmen here.

He also regretted poll violence in Ghazipur constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

Refusing to comment on the EC ordering probe into poll rigging in Chapra, Prasad said the party would wait for its findings but pointed out that violence and damage to EVMs prove that the "poll preparedness had not been up to the mark".

"There is a need to make foolproof arrangements as polling has yet to take place in Madhepura from where the RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav is in the fray," he said.

Prasad dismissed exit polls results predicting a slide in NDA tally and claimed there was no anti-incumbency factor in these elections.

"Though we are not against exit polls, there should be a debate on the methodology, authenticity and political understanding of those conducting the surveys," he said adding that there needs to be some framework for conducting these exit polls scientifically.