Kozhikode: The decision to deploy Central
security forces to oversee upcoming assembly by-polls in
Kerala was taken due to "failure" on the part of the state
government to ensure smooth conduct of elections, Defence Minister A K
Antony said on Tuesday.
"The Election Commission's recommendation to send Central
forces ahead of the Nov 7 assembly by-polls to three seats
came after it was convinced that Left Front Government could
not supervise the polling process in free and fair manner," he
said.
Chief Minister Achuthanandan and the state government
should introspect on the circumstances that led to deployment
of Central forces, Antony told reporters here.
On Achuthanandan's reported remarks that the forces would
remain in "barracks" so long as the state felt that there was
no need to deploy such personnel to monitor law and order, the
defence minister said he was not interested in a wordy duel
with the chief minister.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, November 03, 2009, 20:20