BJP seeks for postponement of Uttarakhand polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday urged the Election Commission to postpone assembly elections in Uttarakhand in view of heavy snowfall in many parts of the hill state and also sought removal of certain officials from key positions in Uttar Pradesh said to be close to ruling Bahujan Samaj Party.

The demands were made by a party delegation led by BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi when it met Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi.

Naqvi said there has been heavy snowfall in many parts of Uttarakhand due to which voters may face problems and that even leaders of parties were unable to go there for campaigning in view of the weather conditions.

"We have asked the EC to extend the date for assembly polls to help provide relief to voters," Naqvi told reporters after the meeting. Uttarakhand is slated to go to polls on January 30.

The BJP delegation while complaining against the BSP in UP asked the EC not to allow deployment of certain officials already removed by it from key positions in the state.

"We have also complained to EC for removal of certain `history-sheeter' officials from key positions in the state. Such officials are acting on behalf of BSP and have already

been removed by EC from top positions. Their continuation in such key positions will not ensure free and fair polls," Naqvi said.

The BJP leader said the EC order on curbing use of blackmoney during polls is also affecting the ordinary traders in the state as they are being "harrassed by the ruling BSP through the state police".

"We want that such traders be not harassed as the money carried by them is being confiscated and common traders are being harassed in the name of unaccounted money," he said.

The BJP leaders also complained about the Congress party and the BSP for allegedly playing politics in the name of caste and religion.