Kolkata: Governor C V Ananda Bose has refuted allegations of Trinamool Congress (TMC) that he is interfering with the election process and assured that he will lend ears to poll-related grievances of the people and will forward the same to the Election Commission (EC).
The Governor is learnt to have said that he will not interfere with the election process but will remain beside the people and hear their complaints relating to polls. He clarified that as a Governor he has the right and duty to be available to the people of the state.
Commenting on the ‘Log Sabha’ portal started by Raj Bhavan to accept poll related grievances and which is the main bone of contention for the TMC, Bose said: “Log Sabha is not Lok Sabha”. He recalled that he was on the streets during the Panchayat elections in the state and had received feedbacks that his presence on the field makes difference.
TMC had written to the Election Commission alleging that the Governor is “illegally” interfering with the ensuing Lok Sabha elections and attempting to run a parallel office akin to that of the Commission. It alleged that following the poll declaration by EC, the governor launched a portal ‘Log Sabha’ for a so-called “direct connect” with the people during Parliamentary elections.
The party complained: “The addition of an extra mechanism such as ‘Log Sabha’ not only undermines the powers of the ECI and takes away the ECI’s set-up to address grievances but further leads to unnecessary confusion amongst the masses. The actions of the Hon’ble Governor are ultra vires the Constitution as they encroach upon the exclusive domain of the ECI, which is solely entrusted with the process of conducting elections.” It requested the EC to restrain the Governor from running a parallel electioneering system which interferes with the electioneering process and powers and functions of the Commission.
Sources said that the EC hasn’t taken any steps so far based on Trinamool’s complaint against the Governor. The office of the chief electoral officer, Bengal is learnt to have already compiled a report which if asked for, will be submitted to the Commission.