Chandigarh, May 28 (IANS) A delegation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Punjab BJP state President Kewal Dhillon, on Thursday met the state Election Commissioner and submitted a detailed memorandum-cum-complaint highlighting alleged large-scale irregularities during the municipal elections.

The delegation raised concerns regarding incidents of booth capturing, manipulation of voter lists, misuse of official machinery, and other electoral malpractices reported from various parts of the state.

The party urged the Election Commission to take immediate cognizance of the complaints to ensure that democratic values and the sanctity of the electoral process are protected.

The memorandum also sought cancellation of polling and re-poll in areas where irregularities have allegedly taken place.

The BJP leaders emphasiSed that free, fair, and transparent elections are essential for maintaining public faith in democracy.

The delegation further demanded that the counting process be conducted in a completely impartial and transparent manner, with adequate safeguards to prevent any manipulation or undue interference.

Speaking after the meeting, state President Dhillon said the party is committed to protecting the democratic rights of voters and ensuring that the electoral process remains free from fear, pressure, and misuse of power.

The municipal elections saw 64 per cent voting to elect representatives in 102 civic bodies, including eight municipal corporations, 75 municipal councils and 19 nagar panchayats.

The counting of ballots is scheduled on May 29. As many as 115 counting centres have been set up across the state with tightening of security arrangements comprising a three-layer security system and CCTV surveillance.

The counting process will begin at 8 am, and results will be updated online round-by-round as ward counting progresses. State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhuri said the overall picture of the civic poll results is expected to become clear by around noon.

–IANS

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