Amarinder shouldn't bully poll panel: Dhindsa

Suggesting Amarinder Singh not to "bully" the Election Commission of India, Shiromani Akali Dal MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa today claimed the Punjab Congress chief has become "paranoid" in face of defeat in next year's assembly polls.

"Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh should not resort to bullying constitutional authorities like the Election Commission of India by raising bizarre and preposterous demands and have the audacity to interfere in their functioning," he said.

Admarinder has written to the Chief Election Commissioner of India, requesting him to consider holding the Assembly elections in Punjab in a single phase arguing, "Spreading the polling over two or three days would be detrimental to free and fair elections... And suicidal for Punjab's democratic polity."
 

Dhindsa, who is also SAD's secretary general, said, "Perhaps Amarinder has become paranoid in face of imminent defeat in the ensuing assembly polls and is issuing statements that border on directing the constitutional authorities to act in way that he thinks suits Congress."

"Usually multi-phase polling is held in large states or where logistics demands it so or which have a history of poll violence. But in Punjab, elections have always been in single phase and there had been no poll violence in the past," he said.

"Ironically, Amarinder says he apprehends violence from the Akalis, while he himself has been exhorting and provoking Congressmen to take on SAD supporters and not allow them in villages," Dhindsa alleged, adding 2011 too, Amarinder had aired such apprehensions of violence but the polls were peaceful.

However, to hold single or multi-phase poll is the prerogative of the ECI which takes decisions after obtaining feedback from various quarters and no political party has any inherent right to interfere in it, he said.

"We are prepared to face the electorate irrespective of the fact the elections are single phase or double. Congress is jittery of non-issues and looking for escape route and alibis to explain it debacle which is certain," Dhindsa claimed.