Intense jostling ahead of CPI state secy polls

Election Commission has been reduced to a puppet that dances to BJP's tunes, he says

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Salem

"THE BJP has turned elections into a mockery. The Election Commission (EC) has been reduced to a puppet that dances to its (BJP) tune. They have even begun tampering with voter lists," charged Chief Minister M K Stalin, while addressing the Communist Party of India's (CPI) State Conference in Salem on Saturday.

He said democracy itself was under attack, with the BJP government not only manipulating the appointment of election commissioners but also interfering in voter lists. "Instead of responding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegations of fraud, the EC has filed affidavits. This shows how low it has stooped," he said.

Stalin also attacked AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami. "No one in our alliance is anyone's slave. Without even understanding our ideology, Palaniswami speaks with arrogance. What sacrifice has he made compared to communist leaders or Thirumavalavan?" he asked. He accused the AIADMK of focusing only on discrediting alliance leaders rather than addressing people's issues.

He alleged that central agencies were being used to intimidate opposition leaders, pointing to Saturday's ED raids on the premises linked to Minister I Periyasamy.