Mamata Banerjee writes to EC hours before final phase of polling

A day before the final phase of Lok Sabha Election in West Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee has appealed to chief election commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora in a letter to ensure the polling in the nine parliamentary constituencies without any “interference” and “intervention” of the Narendra Modi government and ruling BJP at the Centre.

Venting her anger against new Kolkata police commissioner Dr Rajesh Kumar, she accused him of withdrawing prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in Central parts of the city to allow BJP president Amit Shah’s roadshow, which was marred by violence including vandalism of Bengali polymath Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar”s bust at a college.

On Saturday the Trinamul Congress supremo wrote to the CEC, “In the final phase of the election tomorrow, I would request your good office to kindly ensure that the election is completed peacefully, impartially, without any undue interference of the Central government and without any intervention of the ruling party at the Centre. I would request you to kindly protect democratic institutions and the federal structure of the country and extend due respect to the opposition parties.”

She elaborated, “Tomorrow is the final phase of election in West Bengal, which has seen a number of illegal, unconstitutional and biased decisions during the election process because of the undue influence of the Central government and the ruling party at the Centre. As a result, not only the state government administration and officers but also the common people of the state have been harassed and attacked in a various manner.”

Ms Banerjee complained, “It may be recalled that all evidence show that the roadshow of the BJP president in Kolkata on May 14 was permitted through withdrawing Section 144 in the area by the new commissioner of police appointed by the Election Commission. The roadshow organised by the BJP chief was a deliberate, intentional and a criminal conspiracy to vandalize the culture and heritage of Kolkata. She also alleged that the same roadshow was also to done to defame the West Bengal Government and its people.”

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