Alleging large-scale rigging in over 300 booths in constituencies that went to polls in West Bengal today, CPI(M) moved the Election Commission demanding repoll in those polling stations.
In a petition to Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath, CPI(M) Politburo members S Ramachandran Pillai and Sitaram Yechury charged that "rigging and violence in the elections have completely distorted the process of conducting free and fair polls".
Yechury said the incidents that took place during the fourth phase of polling in West Bengal today showed there has not been enough checks.
"There were CCTVs in most of the booths, but many of them were moved to other directions. In some cases, cloth was put on them (CCTVs) to cover the lens," he alleged.
Noting that television channels have exposed the reality and the social media went viral with evidence, he said, "These happened primarily in Jhargram, Medinipur and Bishnupur constituencies. But it took place in all constituencies."
He said such malpractices would boost the moral of the culprits as 17 of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state will have polling on May 12.
Yechury demanded strict action against those responsible for such grave malpractices.
