Chandigarh, May 7 (IANS) Congress MP Manish Tewari on Thursday alleged that the Election Commission acted like a “tool of the BJP” during the West Bengal elections, claiming that democratic institutions and government machinery were misused to influence the electoral process in the state.

Speaking to IANS, on assumptions if Congress and the Trinamool had contested the elections together in West Bengal, Tewari said that the outcome of the elections required “assessment and analysis,” while accusing the ruling BJP of misusing government machinery during the polls.

“Whatever election results have come from there, one thing is clearly visible from them — in many constituencies, the margin of victory is greater than the number of people who were allegedly prevented from casting their votes through SIR,” he said.

The Congress leader further alleged that the Election Commission of India failed to maintain impartiality during the electoral process.

“Another thing that was seen in Bengal was the complete misuse of the government machinery. The Election Commission, which is supposed to be an impartial institution, was working completely like a tool of the BJP. This is a very dark phase for India’s democracy, and its consequences will be highly negative,” Tewari alleged.

Commenting on the BJP’s prospects in Punjab, Tewari dismissed comparisons between Punjab and other states where the BJP has expanded politically, asserting that Punjab’s social and political character does not align with the BJP’s ideology.

“The nature of Punjab does not match the ideology of the BJP. Punjabis have historically protected their land against invaders for centuries,” he said.

Referring to the farmers’ agitation against the now-repealed farm laws, he added, “Punjab is the same state that forced the withdrawal of the farm laws through protest. Therefore, comparisons with any other state are misplaced.”

On the recent incidents of two blasts reported in Punjab and concerns surrounding law and order in the state, Tewari said that national security issues should not become a subject of political confrontation.

“India must remain cautious of Pakistan’s conspiratorial mindset, and there should be no politics over national security issues,” he affirmed.

–IANS

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