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TMC stages protest against electoral reform, state funding of elections

Upping its ante against electoral reform and state funding of elections, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) parliamentarians staged a dharna on Tuesday in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue inside Parliament House complex.

Criticising the Centre's move to introduce electoral bonds, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee earlier on Friday had said that a decision on political funding should have been taken after obtaining opinions of all political parties.

"There should have been discussion with all political parties on the issue of political funding, electoral bonds. They should have taken opinion of all political outfits. Are they planning to send regional parties in exile. We have long been demanding electoral reforms and state funding of elections," Banerjee had told the media.

Banerjee had also questioned the motive behind bringing these proposals ahead of the assembly elections in five states. "What is the motive behind this announcement just ahead of Assembly elections in five states? Later on we might find something much bigger motive behind this decision," she had said.

"The issue of electoral reforms has been the prime agenda of Trinamool Congress since the party was established on January 1, 1998. In the last 18 years, the first section of every manifesto that the TMC has introduced for every election has been dedicated to electoral reforms," a party leader said.

In a major move aimed at promoting transparency in political funding, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on February 1 announced capping of anonymous cash donations to political parties at Rs. 2,000 and introduced electoral bonds.
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