EC to file FIR against BJP leader Locket Chatterjee

The presiding officer of polling booth number 30 in Mayureswar who was threatened by the BJP candidate Locket Chatterjee during the poll on Sunday, has lodged an FIR against her at Mayureswar police station.

Actor turned politician Chatterjee who is contesting the Assembly poll from the Mayureswar Assembly constituency had threatened Debjit Chatterjee, the polling officer deployed at booth number 30 under Mayureswar block I at Prachandapur at the time of elections.

The Election Commission has already started an inquiry into the incident. The Commission’s Delhi office has sought a detailed report from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) after television channels had shown how Chatterjee misbehaved with polling personnel and threatened the presiding officer inside a polling booth. 

She had alleged that the Trinamool Congress polling agent at the booth had influenced the voters and claimed that false voting was done. But the polling officer did not take any action.

Infuriated, Locket appeared on television threatening the polling personnel of dire consequences. She told them that she had managed to get the footage of irregularities and would submit them to the Election Commission. She also threatened another polling personnel, saying that he had been paid by  

Trinamool Congress to favour their candidate.

The presiding officer had taken strong exception to the incident and registered a complaint against her. The Election Commission is also carrying out a separate investigation into the incident. The CEO office in Kolkata is sending a CD containing the video footage showing how Locket had misbehaved with polling personnel which is a gross violation of election norms. As all the polling officers in the districts were under the direct supervision of the Commission, she should have raised the matter with the Commission. Instead, she went ahead and abused a public servant while on duty.

According to a senior official in the CEO office, it will submit a report to the Commission on the entire episode along with a CD. It is up to the Commission to decide what it will do in this regard. Expressing solidarity with Locket Chatterjee, Roopa Ganguly, president of state BJP Mahila Morcha said that she was not happy with the role of the Election Commission. “She is a courageous girl. We are unhappy with the role of the Commission.”