Apprehending large scale violence and booth capturing by ruling SAD, Punjab Congress today demanded deployment of central forces for upcoming Dhuri bypoll on April 11.
In a letter to the Election Commission, Punjab Congress President Partap Singh Bajwa demanded that all polling booths should be declared as "super sensitive" in view of the "tense and volatile" situation allegedly created by the activists of the Shiromani Akali Dal and its youth wing.
Bajwa said all the Akali ministers and MLAs were camping in the constituency and the youth wing workers along with "anti-social" elements were moving all over the constituency in order to create fear psychosis.
"A number of such people were carrying illegal arms as it was a do or die battle for the ruling Akali Dal. There was a strong apprehension of large scale violence and booth capturing on the polling day as the ruling party faced imminent defeat," he alleged.
Bajwa said going by the past experience of the by-elections in the state, it was imperative to deploy central forces for creating conducive atmosphere for free and fair poll as the ruling party had the "dubious record" of booth capturing and unleashing violence in the earlier by-polls.
He also demanded that the entire polling process at each and every booth be videographed while asserting that these steps were required for holding the election in a free, fair and peaceful manner.
