Day before polls, news of restrictive orders against Udayan Guha does rounds

Cooch Behar: Reports are that the Election Commission (EC) has ordered North Bengal Development minister and TMC leader Udayan Guha to remain in his booth area on the day of Lok Sabha elections on Friday. This news was doing the rounds in the political circles in Cooch Behar Lok Sabha constituency area on Thursday. However, Guha denied having received any such letter.

On Tuesday, BJP candidate for Cooch Behar Lok Sabha seat and Union minister of state for Home, Nisith Pramanik had written to the Election Commission to control the movements of Udayan Guha. Reports are that the Election Commission has ordered Guha to maintain restraint.

News is doing the rounds that the Election Commission in response to Nisith Pramanik’s request has restricted Guha’s movement from 6 am to 6 pm on the polling day of the Lok Sabha elections on Friday.

However, there was no confirmation on this from the District Election Officer.

North Bengal Development minister Udayan Guha said: “I don’t know what they applied for but I did not get any instructions from the ECI. If the Election Commission really wants to conduct a peaceful election, it should remove the Central Forces from the house located in Bhetaguri and search the house.” Incidentally Pramanik’s house is located at Bhetaguri. BJP leader Nisith Pramanik said: “If the Election Commission has given such an order, I welcome it.”

Incidentally, Cooch Behar has been witnessing clashes between TMC and BJP supporters, ever since the election was declared. Both the parties have traded allegations and counter allegations. Guha and Pramanik have been locking horns quite often. Amid all this, TMC has levelled allegations against the ECI stating that it has been dancing to the tunes of the BJP.