BSP, SP, TDP and Congress questioned EC decision curtailing the campaign period in West Bengal.
Opposition parties have come out in support of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after the Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine constituencies to end at 10 PM on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Congress leader Ahmed Patel were among the opposition leaders who slammed the poll panel over the decision.
The leaders alleged that the EC gave time to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to finish his rallies on Thursday. Modi is scheduled to address rallies in Laxmikantapur and Dum Dum in West Bengal on Thursday.
In first such action in India's electoral history, the Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 PM on Thursday.
In a hurriedly-convened press conference, Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said it was for the first time that such an action has been taken using constitutional powers of the poll panel.
The Election Commission (EC) also ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya and Additional Director General, CID, Rajeev Kumar from their postings in West Bengal.
The EC's action came a day after parts of Kolkata witnessed widespread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive road show in the city. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised during the violence.
"Now, therefore, the Election Commission of India, in exercise of its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution ...hereby directs that no person shall convene, hold, attend, join or address any public meeting or procession in connection with the election," the eight-page order read.
The order also barred any musical concert, theatrical performance to attract people in connection with the polls. The constituencies where campaigning has been curtailed are -- Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar.
Here is how opposition parties have reacted to EC order:
1. EC gave PM Modi till 10 pm today: Mayawati
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"It is very sad that the Election Commission has banned campaigning in West Bengal, but from 10 pm today just because the Prime Minister has two rallies in the day. If they had to impose this ban, why not from today morning? This is unfair and EC is acting under pressure. We condemn this in the strongest terms. If a ban had to be imposed it should have been from today morning itself," Mayawati told ANI.
She also attacked the Chief Election Commissioner of India and said, "This also proves that under the incumbent Election Commissioner the elections aren't being conducted freely and fairly. This is very dangerous for democracy."
The BSP supremo also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah of targeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
"Since the announcement of Lok Sabha elections, West Bengal has continuously been in news. For this the BJP and RSS are fully responsible. Regular election-related violence in West Bengal shows that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his disciple Amit Shah are leading the campaign of targeting the Mamata Banerjee government since a long time," she said.
Calling it a 'dangerous and unjust trend', Mayawati also alleged that BJP is targeting the West Bengal Chief Minister in order to deviate attention from their 'failures'.
"The targeting of Mamata Banerjee is unjust and doesn't befit especially the Prime Minister of the country. Different types of tactics are being used against West Bengal CM and people are witnessing how she is fighting against this. BJP is trying to flare up West Bengal issues so much that people forget about important issues and their failures," she said.
2. EC decision against all norms of democratic fair play: Akhilesh Yadav
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Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav called the EC's decision to call off campaigning "against all norms of democratic fair play."
"The EC's decision to call off campaigning in Bengal is against all norms of democratic fair play. I fully support @MamataOfficial ji in her fight to stop the undemocratic march of the two and a half men who have used and abused every institution of our country for their own gain," he tweeted.
3. EC acting on BJP's complaint, ignoring TMC's grievances: Naidu
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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday accused the polling body of acting on BJP's complaint while ignoring TMC's grievances.
Naidu in a series of tweets alleged that the EC turned a deaf ear towards the woes of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led party.
"It is disturbing to see prompt action by the ECI on the complaint by BJP and Amit Shah in West Bengal, while conveniently ignoring the complaints of TMC," Naidu tweeted.
4. Why is EC waiting till 10 PM, asks Ahmed Patel
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Congress leader Ahmed Patel came down heavily on the Election Commission after it cut short campaigning period in West Bengal.
The senior party leader questioned the poll body's decision and asked if the situation in the state was severe, why did the commission not ban campaigning with immediate effect.
Taking to Twitter, Patel asked, "If the situation in Bengal is so severe that campaigning must be stopped, why is EC waiting until tomorrow? Is it because PM has scheduled rallies tomorrow?"
"Isn't it unprecedented that EC claims it's an unprecedented situation in West Bengal but yet is waiting for PM to complete his public meetings?" he tweeted.
5. EC decision to stop campaigning is not understood: Yechury
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Questioning the Election Commission's decision to end campaigning in West Bengal from 10 pm on Thursday, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury asked if the poll body had set the time to allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address two rallies in the state in the afternoon.
"If a ban is intended for 72 hours, why is it starting at 10 pm tomorrow? Is it to allow the two rallies of the PM before that?" Yechury tweeted shortly after the EC's announcement.
"The decision by the EC to stop campaigning a day in advance is not understood. The first thing being expected by EC was action against the lumpen elements of BJP and TMC for violence yesterday. Why has no action been initiated?" the CPI(M) leader asked.
Yechury alleged that his party had made several complaints and written many letters about violations and breakdown of law and order with impunity in Bengal but it had received no response from the poll body.
"On the fears of violation cited in the letter issued by the EC, where is the redressal mechanism if there is accumulation of arms or any other violation? So far there has been no action by the EC. This silence by them is widely considered as benefitting the ruling parties," he claimed.
He also tweeted a copy of a letter written to the EC by the CPI(M), demanding that the video of Tuesday's violence shot by the poll body's official videographer be released.
"If there are claims made by both sides, why has the EC not released the video recorded by the official EC videographer of the incident? That should have been the first step, before naming the culprits & punishing," Yechury said.
It was "clear" that the TMC also played a role to "provoke a confrontation in order to galvanise the atmosphere of polarisation", the CPI(M) said in the letter.
6. Mamata thanks oppn leaders
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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee thanked opposition leaders for their support.
"Thanks and gratitude to @Mayawati, @yadavakhilesh, @INCIndia, @ncbn and others for expressing solidarity and support to us and the people of #Bengal. EC's biased actions under the directions of the #BJP are a direct attack on democracy. People will give a befitting reply," she tweeted.
Attacking the Election Commission of India for curtailing the campaigning for the last phase of polls in West Bengal, Banerjee Wednesday said it is an "unprecedented, unconstitutional and unethical gift" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah by the poll panel.
Banerjee, also the chief minister, said she had never seen this type of EC which is "biased and full of RSS people".
"There is no such law and order problem in West Bengal that Article 324 can be clamped. It is unprecedented, unconstitutional, unfair, unethical and politically biased decision" against which the state will move the Supreme Court, she said.
"Mr EC has given a gift to Narendra Modi and Amit Shah (by invoking Article 324) in West Bengal for vandalising the statue of Vidyasagar," she claimed at a press conference held at her Kalighat residence.
