BATHINDA – The complaint cell of the Election Commission started receiving complaints as early as 6.30 this morning. The phones of the complaint cell kept ringing till late in the evening.
“We got a number of complaints from Congress and AAP supporters who alleged presence of vehicles having no registration plates carrying ruling party leaders,” said an official.
He said the flow of complaints increased after 4 pm with reports of bogus voting in Talwandi Sabo town, firing and money distribution in Rama Mandi among others.
Some Congress supporters in Chathewala village alleged that outsiders backing the SAD reached their village in SUVs and pressured them not to become polling agents of the Congress.
“I was not allowed to come out from my house by some youngsters who came in an SUV bearing the registration number of Haryana. They pressured me to support the SAD,” said Buta Singh of Chathewala village. “We lodged a complaint against the presence of outsiders with the EC office, but to no avail. The ruling party misused the government machinery and bogus voting was done in connivance with government officials,” said AAP spokesperson Kultar Singh.
Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, Senior Superintendent of Police, said they were verifying the complaints and would act accordingly. He said some unscrupulous elements were being rounded up. Senior police functionaries refuted the allegations of favouritism saying that criminal cases would be registered against violators.
