CPM demands repoll in 301 booths

The CPM on Wednesday demanded repoll in 301 booths spread across five Lok Sabha seats of West Bengal, alleging poll rigging by the Trinamool Congress.

A delegation of Politburo members, S Ramachandran Pillai and Sitaram Yechury, met the Commission on Wednesday evening to demand repoll in the booths affected by rigging in West Bengal.

The booths for which repoll has been demanded are Jhargram, Medinipur, Bnakura, Bishnupur, and Asansol Lok Sabha constituencies.

“The rigging and violence in the elections held today have completely distorted the process of conducting free and fair polls.

For the restoration of the people’s faith in the electoral process has to be restored, it is essential that repoll is conducted in the booths where rigging has taken place,” the party said in its memorandum.

The party has also demanded that “appropriate steps should be taken to identify and apprehend those who are responsible for such grave malpractices and the consequent gross distortion of the election process.”

 “The Commission assured the delegation that it will look into the memorandum and reply by Thursday,” Yechury told reporters after his meeting with the Election Commission.

The Election Commission has dismissed party’s demand for repoll in several booths that went on poll on April 30.

Remaining 17 seats in the state will go to polls on May 12 in the last round of elections in the country.