The TMC on Wednesday lodged a complaint with the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer against senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, alleging violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during a rally in South 24 Parganas.
In a letter to the poll authorities, the party said Adhikari—who is contesting from the Nandigram and Bhabanipur Assembly constituencies and is also a BJP star campaigner—addressed a public meeting on April 20 at Sonakhali High School ground in support of party candidate Tapan Dutta, allegedly flouting the permitted schedule.
According to the complaint, the meeting had been cleared with a stipulated end time of 1.30 pm. However, Adhikari’s helicopter reportedly landed at the venue at 3.10 pm, and the event continued until around 5 pm.
“By severely exceeding the allotted time for the meeting, Suvendu Adhikari, Tapan Dutta and other BJP members have violated the MCC and other extant instructions of the Election Commission of India,” the letter stated.
The TMC also alleged that police and Central Armed Police Forces blocked adjoining roads during the programme, disrupting a pre-approved event of the ruling party.
Such actions, it said, amounted to “monopolisation of public spaces”, which is prohibited under the MCC.
Citing provisions from the Election Commission’s manual on force deployment in elections (2023) and the handbook for police observers, the party alleged that the conduct of the police and central forces was “partisan” and violated the principle of neutrality mandated during polls.
“Such partisan conduct by the administration and central forces, who are duty-bound to maintain peace and neutrality, raises serious questions regarding their impartiality,” the letter added.
The TMC has urged the poll panel to take appropriate action against the BJP leaders and officials involved.
Adhikari could not be reached for comment.
