West Bengal Elections: CPI(M) moves Election Commission against TMC

 CPI-M today moved the Election Commission against ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal alleging that its ministers in the state are questioning the role of the poll panel in handling law and order during conduct of elections.

It also charged the Mamata Banerjee government with transferring police officials -- some considered close to Trinamool and others considered honest -- ahead of Assembly polls due in April-May to suit its requirements.
Party leaders Sitaram Yechury and Nilotpal Basu met Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and handed over a memorandum. In the memorandum, CPI-M said it has apprehensions that "huge sums of ill-gotten funds" from the ponzy scam could be used to influence voters.

"We are extremely disturbed over the reported statement of Partha Chatterjee, the HRD Minister of West Bengal government and the chief spokesman of TMC, questioning the jurisdiction of ECI over matters pertaining to law and order," the memorandum said. Questioning the "partisan role" of police, the party also pressed for "measures to rectify this situation which puts the opposition in a largely handicapped situation." They said certain areas such as the tri-junction of Birbhum, Bardhaman and Murshidabad districts are sensitive in nature and constitute a hub of "widespread violence." "Special measures need to be initiated to neutralise such acts of frequent violence in this region," the memorandum said.