THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Journalist and Magsaysay Award winner P Sainath has said that the entire machinery of the central government is working to ensure BJP’s victory in states where assembly polls are going on. He said that the central probe agencies are leaving no stone unturned to ensure the success of the BJP in states where elections are going on. “The country has never witnessed a poll panel working in such an opaque and lenient manner. The election commission of India has become one of the weakest constitutional institutions in the country,” he said. He was speaking during an interview given to an online media outlet.

“In Tamil Nadu, DMK leaders had to face income tax raids. The Kerala government had to approach the court against the ED. Raids against TMC leaders are also ongoing. But those TMC leaders, involved in the Saradha scam and who later defected to BJP, are facing no threats of raids. Those who reached BJP, with the stain of graft, are getting all security cover. The attraction of elections has faded away. I cannot recollect such an inefficient poll panel working in our country in recent times. The poll panel has become frail and it is one of the weakest institutions now,” he said. He also pointed out the Lavlin case being taken up for hearing on April 6. He also added that all election machinery and infrastructure in the state is working together only to ensure the victory of one single party.