TMC accuses WB CEO of violating MCC; file a complaint with the Chief Election Commissioner

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday filed a complaint with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) against the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal accusing the latter of biased, partisan behavior and violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) while seeking his removal.

The development comes two days after state Chief Executive Manoj Kumar Agarwal visited Nandigram in East Midnapore and interacted with a section of voters.

However, the TMC claimed that Agarwal was accompanied by a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader who took the CEO around to meet BJP voters in the area. The CEO refuted the allegations, saying they were blatantly false and mischievous.

“This partisan action strictly amounts to undue influence, partiality and corrupt practices under The Representation of the People Acts, 1950. Further, it is also in clear and direct violation of the MCC, which has been in place since March 15. The CEO has violated the provisions of Sections 129 and 134 of the CEO for such an incident of the RPA is what the RPA is. candidates of the BJP and acted to vote affected,” read the letter from the TMC to Gyanesh Kumar, CEC.

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A four-member delegation of TMC MPs, including Derek O’Brien, Sagarika Ghose, Menaka Guruswamy and Saket Gokhale, is also likely to meet the CEC in New Delhi on Wednesday morning, TMC leaders privy to the details said.

In its letter, which was shared with the media late on Tuesday evening, the TMC sought the removal of Agarwal and other appropriate action against him under the MCC and RPA.

“In view of the above circumstances, you are immediately requested to take appropriate action against Agarwal in accordance with the provisions of the MCC, the RPA and the applicable laws, including but not limited to the initiation of proceedings for his disqualification from the post of CEO,” the letter said.

The chief executive has started visiting vulnerable pockets in some of the districts that have seen violence in previous elections, including panchayat polls, assembly elections and Lok Sabha polls.

Agarwal told HT that the allegations of consorting with a BJP official were blatantly false.

“I was accompanied by the district magistrate, police, CAPF and other district and block officers. Such allegations of association with a BJP official are blatantly false, mischievous, devoid of any truth and deserve to be condemned. The places for the visit were chosen by the district magistrate largely on the basis of previous incidents of violence, threats and intimidation of voters. The CEO is obliged to ensure free and fair polls and instill confidence in voters. Regardless of whether any false narrative is orchestrated by vested interests, I will continue my field visits unabated,” Agarwal told HT.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari questioned the TMC for leveling such allegations.

“Did he carry any BJP flag? In post-poll violence, the people killed were mostly BJP workers. We all know the actions taken by the Calcutta High Court and we have also seen the attitude of the ECI against such violence. Several officers were transferred after analyzing the history of post-poll to visit the TMC to say a residence of an official violence. victim of post-poll violence who was killed?” Adhikari told mediapersons.