Punjab BJP vice-president and party incharge for Patiala Municipal Corporation Harjit Singh Grewal, accompanied by state party secretary Vineet Joshi today met the State Election Commissioner and complained about the malpractices being carried out by the ruling Congress in Patiala. The BJP leaders apprised the SEC of how the police and civil machinery was being misused and how Akali-BJP candidates were being pressurized and browbeaten by the Congress.Grewal and Joshi said that station-level policemen in Patiala are acting like Congress workers and are threatening the Opposition. The BJP leaders also handed over written complaints of BJP candidates in Patiala and demanded that Para-military forces be deployed in Patiala for the local body elections instead of state police.Meanhwile, Vineet Joshi made an appeal to the SEC that the voting should be conducted under the watchful eye of poll observers from neighbouring states.“Congress misused the state machinery during Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll and emerged victorious. It is again adopting the same measures for the state local body elections. Hence, Para-military forces and poll observers from neighbouring states are required to ensure free and fail elections”, he said.