LDF trying to undermine fair elections: BJP

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) is trying to undermine the Election Commission of India's efforts to conduct free and fair elections in the State, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesman George Kurian said here on Wednesday.

CPI(M) candidate V. Sivankutty and his men had threatened an Executive Magistrate in charge of the Nemom constituency, abused and prevented her from discharging her duties. In Karunagapally, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies C. Divakaran had allegedly hit a voter, Mr. Kurain said. Two voters had complained against the Minister in separately.

In Kannur, CPI(M) leader P. Jayarajan had beaten up a television reporter. If this was the trend, much more violence could be expected from part of the LDF. The Commission should, hence, deploy more police during polling, he said.

The former Kannur district secretary of the CPI(M), P. Sasi, had become the mascot of the CPI (M) in that district and was at the root of the violence there. The CPI(M) should handover the complaint against Mr. Sasi to the police and he should be prosecuted, the BJP spokesman said.

The Congress had been repeatedly raising the allegations that the BJP had fielded a weak candidate against Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan in Malampuzha with a view to divert attention from criticisms against the Congress such as the use of helicopter for campaign. The candidate of BJP's ally in Malampuzha, P.K. Majid, (Janata Dal-United) had been active in politics from the seventies and had gone to jail during the Emergency. He was a lawyer in the High Court and the vice-president of his party in the State.

On the other hand, the Congress had fielded a weak candidate against the Chief Minister in Malampuzha. Similarly, the CPI(M) had fielded a weak candidate against Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy in Puthuppally. This was by mutual understanding, he said.