LUCKNOW, April 8 -- Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday accused the Election Commission (EC) of colluding with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming that the West Bengal elections would be free and fair only if they were held "without" the poll body.

Responding to a question on the EC and the West Bengal elections during his visit to Kanpur, the Kannauj MP said, "The elections in West Bengal will be fair only if they are held without the Election Commission."

"The EC is working hand in glove with the BJP. The role of the EC is to enrol voters, but it is deleting votes at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Its role was evident in the bypolls conducted in the state last time, as the EC, BJP government ...