The Election Commission will serve a showcause notice on West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee for her “instigating speeches” against the BJP and the CPM and, thereby, violating the model code of conduct. A State Election Commission official said, “A complaint was received from Opposition parties about her (Mamata) recent speech at Krishnanagar in Nadia district. The district magistrate, who is also now the returning officer for the elections, has also submitted a report.”
He said that the complaints and the district official’s reports were sent to the Election Commission of India’s office in New Delhi, which has directed the state body to serve a notice to the TMC chief. She has to submit her reply within three days of receiving the notice.
Earlier, at a workers’ meeting at Krishnanagar, Mamata had said: “The BJP and the CPM are trying to create communal trouble”. In all her speeches ever since she kicked off her poll campaign at Pailan in South 24 Parganas district on March 18, she had attacked the BJP, saying the party was known for “communal riots” and also made jibes at Narendra Modi, without naming him.
She had also alleged that for one single seat the BJP was in favour of dividing West Bengal.
The GJM, which had been spearheading a movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland, is supporting the BJP nominee for Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency, Surendra Singh Ahluwalia. After Mamata’s barrage against the BJP, the party’s state president Rahul Sinha has categorically said that the BJP never supported the demand for Gorkhaland and division of West Bengal and accused her of “losing balance and indulging in politics of opportunism”. After deputy election commissioner Vinod Zutshi’s visit here, state body officials have put their act together and all district magistrates and police superintendents have become alert. Zutshi had received hordes of complaints from opposition parties against the ruling TMC of creating a “reign of terror”, and the state EC for not taking any action.
Plaint against Rahul
The TMC has filed a complaint with the Election Commission against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for violating the model code of conduct. Trinamool Congress national secretary and Rajya Sabha member Mukul Roy, in a complaint with the State EC alleged that a large number of children in school uniform were seen at Rahul Gandhi’s workers’ meeting at Nagrakata in Jalpaiguri district on March 26.