Dhaka: The ruling Awami League on Thursday urged the Election Commission to be tough in dealing with violence and irregularities during the next phases of Union Council elections.

An AL delegation, led its joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, met Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad at the latter's EC Secretariat office and conveyed the message of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that she does not want anomalies in polls.

‘There’s a strong instruction from the Prime Minister. She doesn’t want to see any irregularity, fault and deviation in the elections. We’ve conveyed the PM’s instruction to the EC,’ Hanif told reporters while emerging from the EC secretariat after the meeting.

AL conveyed the views of the party chief to the Commission ahead of the third phase election that are set to be held in some 625 UCs on Saturday next.

In case of polls anomalies, Hanif said, Awami League wants the Commission to take legal actions against those who would be at fault.

About their party men, he said, ‘We'll also issue instructions to our grassroots leaders and activists that stern actions would be taken against those who will try to create troubles and anarchy during the elections.’

Over 30 people have so far been killed in election-related violence since February 11 last, the day the Commission announced the schedule for the first phase of the staggered UC elections.

Hanif, however, said there was no widespread violence and anomalies in the first two phases of UC election, held in March 22 and 30 last. ‘So far elections to 1,400 UCs were held through over 13,000 polling stations. But the balloting was marred in only 50-60 polling stations, which is not that much significant,’ he said.

The Awami League leader alleged that BNP is trying to create anarchy having failed to field candidates in the UC election. ‘BNP joined the election as part of its conspiracy. They (BNP) are creating chaos in a planned way. We've suggested the Commission to be vigilant in this regards,’ the AL joint general secretary said.

The Commission has a plan to arrange elections to 4,275 UCs out of the country's 4,546 ones in six phases by June next.