Calcutta: The BJP claimed on Sunday that Bengal state election commissioner A.K. Singh had told a party delegation that his office landlines and cellphones were being tapped.

The BJP national secretary, Rahul Sinha, said at a press conference that Singh was under "tremendous pressure" to toe the line of Nabanna on matters related to rural polls. 

"He (Singh) has told the representatives of the BJP that his mobile phone and all landline phones in his office are being tapped. This is a serious allegation as he holds a constitutional position and what he told us meant that he was frightened and under tremendous pressure," Sinha said.

According to Sinha, Singh made the revelation when a BJP delegation comprising himself, Mukul Roy, Shamik Bhattacharya and Pratap Banerjee had gone to meet him in the poll panel's office on Rawdon Street here in the first week of April.

Singh has been at the centre of a controversy over the conduct of the rural polls and Opposition parties have been calling him a "stooge" of the state government. The poll panel chief's role has also come under the scanner of Calcutta High Court, which observed that the state election commission should "redeem itself".

The BJP leader dodged questions on why the his party did not bring the matter to the high court's attention during the hearing of several cases over the panchayat polls.

Attempts to reach Singh for a response didn't yield any result as his phone kept ringing and he didn't respond to text messages.

Sinha also alleged that Singh's life was under threat, but did not explain what prompted him to make such a comment. "I have come to know of it, but I don't want to share the name of the source at this juncture," said Sinha.

Quoting panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee's recent comment that it was the duty of the state election commission to ensure security during polls, Sinha asked: "When Mr Singh himself is under threat, how can he ensure security arrangements for free and fair polls. Our appeal is to scrap the May 14 election. We are demanding a one-day window for filing nominations online and a court monitored elections in phases."

Trinamul secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said: "It is surprising why they are saying all this. Their allegations mean nothing. They don't want to face the elections as they are scared of people's mandate."