Roll With The Punches

The CPI(M)-EC faceoff in the state is getting meaner by the day. Poll observers led by K.J. Rao, here to monitor the revision of electoral rolls, have been taking their tasks a bit too seriously for the ruling Marxists’ liking. With the second round of monitoring on, and already reports of massive rigging in the voters’ lists, the CPI(M) is on the defensive. They’re now accusing EC officials of being too media-savvy. "Let the observers do their job, but why take journalists along? If they do so this time, we’ll complain to the EC," said CPI(M) state secretary Anil Biswas. With the state EC saying they can’t ban the media from covering the observers’ tour—and scrutiny of the rolls revision process—a stiffer battle between the two seems imminent.