New Delhi, Apr 27: The BJP on Tuesday met the Election Commission and demanded countermanding of elections in Lok Sabha constituencies in Chapra in Bihar and Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh alleging misuse of official machinery and large-scale electoral malpractices there.
"We have demanded countermanding of elections in Chapra and Ghazipur. Large-scale electoral malpractices took place there and there was also misuse of official machinery. For this, we have provided evidence to the Election Commission," said party General Secretary and spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who led a three-member delegation to the Commission.

The other members of the delegation were Balbir Punj and Ramakrishnan.
The party also demanded removal of district magistrates in these two constituencies to ensure free and fair balloting, he said.

Naqvi alleged RJD Chief Laloo Prasad Yadav, pitted against BJP candidate and Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy in Chapra, had misused the official machinery.
Apprehending trouble by anti-socials aided and abetted by Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party, he demanded deployment of additional para-military forces in Uttar Pradesh for fourth and final rounds of polling.

Naqvi said the party had also sought deployment of additional forces in Farrukhabad, Mainpuri and Kannauj constituencies going to the hustings in the fourth phase.

Bureau Report