SIRSA: After many protests against Govind Kanda in runup to the Ellenabad byelection, Sirsa deputy commissioner Anish Yadav and superintendent of police Arpit Jain called numberdars, besides former sarpanch and panches, to the Ellenabad SDM’s office on Tuesday and made an appeal to let the BJP candidate campaign.
The DC said every candidate had the constitutional right to seek votes and do publicity, while people were free to vote, "but the election process cannot be obstructed in the name of any protest". DC said: "These numberdars and former sarpanch and panches have a good influence in their villages and people obey their command. Therefore, we requested these village dignitaries to cooperate with us in maintaining peace, alert us if anyone tries to spoil the village brotherhood, and ask the youth not be misinformed and misled."
The DC said there were democratic and peaceful means for expressing opinion, and protests should not trouble the common man. He said the Election Commission’s rules recommended taking prompt cognizance of any FIR. SP Arpit Jain said a committee of five in each village will keep outsiders from creating trouble.
The protesters stopped the BJP candidate from even opening his election office and visiting a gurdwara, which forced the administration to book 25 farmers.
Meanwhile, BJP-JJP candidate Govind Kanda claimed that the opposition, which had represented the Ellenabad for 17 years, had not cared for its development, so now the voters wanted a change.
