Zila parishad polls: Leaders threatened by officials, cops at AAP's behest

The Congress on Wednesday alleged that threats were being issued to Opposition candidates by the police and district officials at the behest of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to prevent them from filing nomination papers for the zila parishad and block samiti polls.

“All Deputy Commissioners have also been asked to reject Opposition candidates’ nomination papers on a large scale,” added Congress leader and Jalandhar Cantonment legislator Pargat Singh, seeking the Election Commission’s intervention over the issue.

The allegations come a day after the state poll panel did away with the requirement of obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Block Development and Panchayats Officer to contest the the elections in the state.

The Congress, which is the state’s main Opposition party in the state, had earlier alleged that the no-objection certificate was either being denied to their candidates by officials or its issue was being delayed to prevent them from contesting the December 14 polls, for which nominations could be filed till December 4.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, too said that at several places officials deputed on the election duty were found absent from offices, resulting in non-submission of papers.

“Facing anti-incumbency, the ruling party is resorting to the use of official machinery to prevent candidates from filing nominations. A clear picture will emerge tomorrow,” said Bajwa, a senior Congress leader.

Congress Zira president Kulbir Zira staged a protest, alleging that 35 party candidates were not being allowed to file nomination papers.

“On the promise of getting the nomination papers filed, the police accompanied the party candidates to the nomination centres but they were sent back without filing the papers,” the Zira Congress leader alleged.