Kolkata, March 9:
Trinamool Congress delegation member and Minister of State for Finance, Chandrima Bhattacharya, has accused the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of misconduct during a recent meeting. Bhattacharya was present at the meeting where the Election Commission’s full bench engaged with representatives from various political parties. She stated that she experienced disrespectful behavior during the discussions.
In a statement to the media, Bhattacharya said, “I am a woman. Despite this, during our conversation, he told me, ‘Don’t shout.’ The CEC lacks a basic sense of respect for women. This is why many female voters have been removed from the electoral rolls.”
She further emphasized that if a voter’s name has been removed from the list, it is their responsibility to prove they are legitimate voters. “You have to stand in line. The CEC should remember that shouting at women or mistreating them is not part of their job,” she added.
Bhattacharya also noted that the CEC refused to discuss any matters related to the ongoing SIR in West Bengal during the meeting. “He stated that since the SIR case is in the Supreme Court, it cannot be discussed in the meeting. Why were we called to the meeting if we cannot talk about the SIR issue? Is it a crime for us to approach the Supreme Court on behalf of ordinary voters?”
Additionally, the state’s Urban Development Minister and Kolkata Mayor, Firhad Hakim, claimed that the BJP is spreading misinformation regarding an increase in illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants in West Bengal. He questioned whether the Commission found any evidence to support the BJP’s claims during the revision exercise over the past two months. Instead, innocent individuals have been harassed in the name of SIR.
The Commission has made errors in setting revision rules according to the BJP’s demands. Our appeal is that no genuine voter should be excluded from the electoral rolls.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) informed that it had engaged with various political parties throughout the day, emphasizing the need for strict measures to prevent voter intimidation and violence from anti-social elements in the upcoming elections.
The Commission also noted that most political parties are recommending that voting in West Bengal be conducted in one or two phases this time. The Chief Election Commissioner reassured political parties that elections in India are conducted according to the law, and the ECI will leave no stone unturned to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections in West Bengal. The Commission is committed to a zero-tolerance policy towards violence.
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