BJP Bhabanipur candidate Priyanka Tibrewal gets EC notice

Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a notice to Priyanka Tibrewal, BJP candidate for the by-election in the Bhabanipur Assembly seat for flouting Covid protocol on Wednesday.

The Returning Officer sent her the notice for flouting pandemic norms while filing her nomination. Trinamool Congress (TMC) had complained that Tibrewal violated the poll code by gathering a large number of supporters while filing her nomination.

In its complaint, the TMC alleged that Tibrewal violated the Model Code of Conduct and COVID-related guidelines by gathering "an unruly mob" of not less than 500 without any permission.

The ECI had issued several guidelines that had to be followed by the candidates taking part in the by-election in three Assembly seats, including barring of central rallies in view of the pandemic.

The TMC alleged that the BJP candidate had flouted the Covid pandemic protocol when she had gone to file her nomination at the Survey Building on September 13. More than 500 BJP workers took out a rally on Harish Mukherjee Road in her support. The BJP workers were beating drums and Tibrewal was seen dancing with "dhunuchi". Later, she was accompanied by Suvendu Adhikari, Dinesh Trivedi and Arjun Singh when she went to file her nomination.

TMC has decided not to organise any central rally and instead street corners sessions are being held. Mamata Banerjee had given instructions to the party leaders to ensure that people do not accompany her during the time of her nomination filing on September 10.