We will tackle Bengal: EC
A day after the Election Commission threatened to countermand polls in West Bengal, the CEC said he would tackle the situation appropriately.
A day after the Election Commission threatened to countermand elections in West Bengal following intimidation of its observers by a Marxist leader, the poll panel chief said on Monday he would tackle the situation appropriately.
"We will tackle appropriately (Marxist leader) Biman Bose's threats to poll observers in West Bengal," Chief Election Commissioner TS Krishnamurthy told reporters after casting his vote here.
On Sunday, Deputy Election Commissioner AN Jha said a criminal case would be filed against Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Biman Bose for allegedly inciting party activists against poll observers.
"We will not hesitate to countermand Monday's election (in West Bengal)," Jha had stated.
Though Bose denied having issued any threats to the observers, media reports said the chairman of West Bengal's ruling Left Front had allegedly threatened to grab the observers by their collars and hand them over to the police. His grouse was that the observers were overstepping their limits.
Expressing satisfaction at the conduct of the general election so far, Murthy said a final assessment could be given only after the completion of the polls.
"The polls have been largely peaceful so far," he observed. On complaints about election fraud pending with the commission, he gave the assurance that a decision would be taken shortly on the demand for countermanding of polls in Bihar's Chapra constituency and distribution of free saris in Delhi.
He also noted that the electronic voting machines, used in the entire general election for the first time, were working well barring minor glitches.