Patna (PTI): Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera on Sunday claimed that a staggering 89 lakh complaints of irregularities were flagged by the party’s Booth Level Agents (BLAs) in Bihar during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, but all were rejected by the Election Commission.

Alleging that the irregularities cast a doubt on the intention of the EC, Khera demanded that the entire exercise be conducted again.

“The EC keeps getting news planted through its sources that no complaints are coming from any political party. The truth is that the Congress submitted 89 lakh complaints pertaining to irregularities in the SIR to the EC,” chairman of the media and publicity department of the Congress said in a press conference.

“When our BLAs went to file complaints, their complaints were turned down by the EC. The EC categorically told our BLAs that complaints could be accepted by individuals only, not by political parties,” Khera claimed. 

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New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday registered a case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal, officials said.

The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard, they said.

In pursuance to the home ministry's order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took up the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said in a late night statement.

"The case pertains to recovery of 79 crude bombs and other incriminating materials by Kolkata police, which were being stored at a spot, thereby endangering human life and property," the spokesperson said.

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had directed the West Bengal Police to launch a special drive to arrest those involved in illegal manufacturing of crude bombs in the poll-bound state, an official said.

It asserted that all cases related to the making of any such explosive would be probed by the National Investigation Agency, the official said.

The directive came after the police recovered a large number of crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, days ahead of the second and final phase of the assembly polls in the state.

The explosives were recovered during a search at the residence of Rafikul Islam following specific inputs, the official said.

The poll panel also issued a warning to senior police officers across the state over any lapse in maintaining law and order before the April 29 polling.

The first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.

A record 93.19 per cent turnout has been recorded in the first round of polling. Bhangar will vote in the second phase.