The Chief Election Commissioner of India S.Y. Quraishi (CEC) today denied the charges of bias leveled against the commission by some political leaders in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and made it clear that all its actions are directed to ensure a free and fail poll everywhere including the two states.

Addressing media persons in Delhi as campaigning has ended in Tamil Nadu this evening, Quraishi disclosed the commission has taken all decisions with unanimity and rejected the charges of DMK and PMK that election authority has imposed emergency in the state.

Describing Tamil Nadu as a challenging case, the CEC said they can’t sit idle looking at the rampant malpractices in the state. “We took specific measures in each state going to the polls and tried to curb money and muscle power in the elections,” he said.

There is no question of bias and the commission has strictly gone by the rules, the CEC asserted and added that they believed in fair play and gave equal treatment to all parties engaged in the election process.

Reacting to the CEC’s observations, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had reportedly said that the commission has tried to assert its supremacy and adopted a confrontationist attitude with the government.