BJP seeks 'safe options' for rural poll nomination

TT, Siliguri: BJP leader Rahul Sinha on Saturday demanded that the state election commission should create facilities for submission of nominations in the offices of the sub-divisional officer and the district magistrate along with offices of the block development officers, a few hours after the commission announced the schedule of three-tier panchayat elections of the state.

The reason, he said, is their apprehension that their political contenders, and particularly Trinamul, might try to prevent their candidates from filing nominations. Submission of nominations in all three tiers will commence from April 2 to April 9.

Sinha, a national secretary of the party, is touring north Bengal. He was in Siliguri on Saturday.

"We apprehend that as our candidates head for the BDO offices to file their nominations, they might face interceptions or even attacks from the ruling party of the state. That is why we want the state election commission to allow filing of nominations in the offices of the DMs and SDOs. Also, the commission should also introduce online system for submission of nominations," said Sinha.

The BJP leader, who attended a party workers' meet in Alipurduar on Friday, met BJP leaders here to discuss on the upcoming visit of party president Amit Shah.

Shah will be visiting Siliguri and Nagrakata (in the Dooars) on April 8. In Siliguri, around 25,000 party functionaries of different hierarchy will attend a meet. Later, Shah will visit Nagrakata to interact with representatives from tea estates.

Sinha also lashed out at state tourism minister Gautam Deb for the latter's remarks that Shah is visiting north Bengal as a "tourist."

"We are not surprised to hear such baseless comments of Trinamul leaders. They have realised that the visit of our party president in north Bengal will bolster the confidence of our workers and supporters. Such remarks indicate the anxiety running deep within Trinamul," said the BJP leader.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh on the other hand, continued to maintain his "stringent stance" and asked party workers to be prepared with "bamboo sticks smeared in oil" to prevent intrusion of "outsiders."

"Even if somebody's son-in-law comes in the village on the poll day, tell him to visit his in-laws' place after the elections. Every booth should be monitored. Keep the sticks ready because if outsiders get in or anybody tries to foil the election process, we have to act. Any outsider coming into any locality with wrong intentions should face consequences," said Ghosh, while speaking at a party workers' meet in Raninagar, on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri.

He reiterated that in every booth, BJP will field candidates. "The ruling party will create pressure but we will not succumb to it," he added.