Mayawati accuses Election Commission of bias

October 6th, 2009 LUCKNOW - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday accused Chief Minister Mayawati of rigging the recent by-polls for four assembly seats and urged the Election Commission (EC) to deploy central paramilitary forces for next month's by-polls to one Lok Sabha and 11 assembly seats in the state. "By misusing the state machinery, the Mayawati-led government can any time indulge in irregularities to win the elections.

September 10th, 2009 KABUL - Abdullah Abdullah, the main challenger to President Hamid Karzai in the Afghan presidential election, Thursday accused the country's election commission of corruption and bias towards the incumbent. In an interview with the BBC, the former foreign minister accused Karzai of fraud, saying the election was stolen from the Afghan people.

July 17th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and her government have come in for criticism from the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, which said it has the "most dismal record in tackling atrocities against Dalits". Commission chairman Buta Singh said the Mayawati government's move to arrest Congress leader Rita Joshi Bahuguna for her remarks against Mayawati was "a little far-fetched".

June 30th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Tuesday asked the central government to make public the Liberhan Commission report on the demolition of the Babri Masjid and punish the guilty. "The report should be made public as it would be in the interest of transparency," Mayawati told reporters here.

June 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday urged the Election Commission to serve a notice to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for using public money to install statues, including of herself, in Lucknow. "We request the Election Commission to serve a notice to Mayawati on the issue.

April 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Election Commission Saturday issued notice to senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh for allegedly threatening to 'use' the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati. Terming it as violation of the model code of conduct, the panel asked him to reply by 5 p.m.

April 9th, 2009 LUCKNOW - The Uttar Pradesh government's alleged steps targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party will only help the party perform better in the Lok Sabha elections, BJP leader Kalraj Mishra said here Thursday. 'The Mayawati government is making all efforts to push us back - be it the action on our Pilibhit candidate Varun Gandhi or cancelling our rallies.

April 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Election Commission Wednesday refused to comment on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's allegations that the poll panel was biased towards opposition parties in the state. 'We don't wish to offer any comment on this (Mayawati's allegations),' Deputy Election Commissioner R.

April 8th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Chief Minister Mayawati Wednesday accused the Election Commission of being biased towards opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh, reacting sharply to the poll panel's order to remove the state's principal home secretary. Addressing a hurriedly convened press conference just before flying off to Maharashtra for her election campaign, Mayawati said: 'Removal of the state's principal home secretary Fateh Bahadur was arbitrary and has apparently been done simply on the basis of flimsy, false and one-sided complaints made by some opposition parties.' Mayawati, who is chief of the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party, said: 'The least that the Election Commission should have done is to authenticate these complaints before ordering such a drastic step.' 'In the past also, the poll panel went about ordering the removal of some district magistrates and superintendents of police, besides some lower officials without verifying facts, which is not being fair to the state government.' She alleged that many new appointments were 'made directly by the commission without even seeking a panel from the state government'.

April 8th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Wednesday criticised the Election Commission for its decision to transfer UP Principal Secretary of Home Kunwar Fateh Bahadur. Accusing the commission of demoralizing officers of the state ahead of the first phase of elections, Mayawati said the decision may lead to problems in the law and order situation in the state.

April 8th, 2009 VARANASI/ RANCHI/PATNA - Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley alleged that the Election Commission practises double standards. "We expect the Election Commission not to practice double standards.

March 30th, 2009 JAMMU - The Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) blue flags fluttered here in Jammu and Kashmir Monday as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati campaigned for her party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Addressing an election rally, Mayawati criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as the Congress saying these parties were 'fooling the people'.

March 20th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati will launch her party's election campaign from Kerala and will hold a series of public rallies till May 11. 'My campaign starts from tomorrow (Saturday) and I will hold a series of public meetings in all corners of the country till May 11 without missing a single day,' Mayawati told reporters here.

March 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI -The Congress party Tuesday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh, accusing it of misusing state machinery for electoral gains. 'In an effort to ensure victory of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidates a large number of transfers of government officials have already been made.

January 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Calling Election Commissioner Navin Chawla biased, the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) Saturday said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) N. Gopalswami's recommendation seeking his removal is binding on the government.