EC embarrassed over violence during UP polls: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda today said the Election Commission was embarrassed by the violence taking place during the ongoing union parishad elections.

"We are embarrassed that many [violent] incidents took place. We are also concerned," Nurul Huda said while responding to a query of the reporters at his office in the capital's Agargaon.

He came up with the comments as more than a dozen people were killed across the country centring the union parishad elections.

The EC would provide direction to field level after consultation with the election commissioners to prevent violence, he said.

Election is held with the joint efforts of political parties, voters, and candidates and it is not possible to control the situation without tolerance at the field level, he added.

"Elections should be competitive, not vindictive. Violence must be controlled through joint efforts," he further said.

In the second phase of this election, 846 union parishad are set to go to the polls on November 11.

The elections to 1,007 union parishad in the third phase are scheduled to be held on November 28.

In the first phase, elections were held in 204 union parishad on June 21 and 160 on September 20.