The Congress Saturday said officials deployed on poll duty should remain nonpartisan and maintain a level-playing field during the upcoming elections in four states, including in West Bengal, and the Union Territory of Puducherry. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi alleged the Centre's ruling BJP was practising a "below-the-belt" and "low-level" politics in West Bengal, terming it unfortunate. Singhvi quoted Atal Bihari Vajpayee to say the BJP should contest the elections strongly but not bring it to a level where one doesn’t see one's opponent eye-to-eye after the elections.
Singhvi said the Election Commission has done its job and "we hope the officers deployed on poll duty do not disturb the level-playing field in the states where elections are held". "Many states including West Bengal have expressed apprehensions over maintaining the level-playing field in elections. We hope that the officers posted in the poll-bound states would ensure that a level-playing field is ensured in these states and not create a non-level playing field," he told a press conference.
Assembly elections in the four states of Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry start on March 27, with West Bengal set for an eight-phase polls and Assam three. Counting for all the seats will be held on May 2.
As many as 18.68 crore voters will be eligible to cast their votes at 2.7 lakh polling stations for 824 assembly seats across Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Elections in Assam will be conducted in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6, while polling in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will take place in a single phase on April 6.
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