RANCHI (TIP): Former chief minister and leader of opposition in Jharkhand Arjun Munda has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission accusing the state government of deploying security forces to gain undue favour in the elections. Munda in his letter said chief minister Hemant Soren’s father is contesting from the Dumka parliamentary constituency and instead of deploying Central paramilitary forces, state police were asked to take charge. Seeking the EC’s intervention in ordering an inquiry by any neutral agency, Munda said around 33 companies of CRPF were at the disposal of the state government on the election day.

“I have been told that initially CRPF was to be deployed but under political pressure a decision was taken to handover security arrangement to local police. This resulted in the fatal attack on the polling party and police team,” he said. Expressing grief over the death of polling personnel and policemen, Munda said the incident could have been avoided had the state machinery sought help of the Central paramilitary force.