War of words: EC-TMC meet ends on bitter note; CEC asks leaders to ‘get lost’
Kolkata: A severe face-off unfolded on Wednesday between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Election Commission of India (ECI) on social media as well as over a meeting between its delegation and the full bench of ECI in Delhi that culminated on an acrimonious note.
TMC alleged that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar asked them to “get lost” at the end of the seven-minute meeting, while the poll body accused them of “shouting”. After the meeting at the ECI’s Delhi office, TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien told the media that they handed over letters from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to the CEC, and also apprised him of specific instances of poll officials having links with the BJP.
A TMC delegation comprising its Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien, deputy leader Sagarika Ghose, MPs Saket Gokhale and Menaka Guruswamy, met the full bench of ECI in the backdrop of a mass deletion of names from the electoral rolls of Bengal. They alleged that the poll body has a “tacit understanding” with the BJP.
“We gave him six examples of officials who are part of the election process and have links with the BJP,” O’Brien said. Among the examples cited was that of the Chief Electoral Officer being accompanied by a local BJP leader in Nandigram. A memorandum was submitted in this regard, he said.
“We asked the CEC how he can ensure the conduct of free and fair elections when such tainted officers are being appointed in Bengal. To this, his answer was “Get lost,” said O’Brien. “We told the CEC we would not listen to him because he does not allow his colleagues to speak. We have attended eight to nine meetings like this, where none other than the CEC speaks,” O’Brien said. He also said that they congratulated Gyanesh Kumar on being the first CEC in history to have notices seeking his removal submitted in Parliament.
On social media handles also the TMC and ECI engaged in a war of words after the poll body claimed to have given an “ultimatum” to the ruling party in Bengal. The poll body on X handle writes: “Election Commission’s Ultimatum to Trinamool Congress Elections in West Bengal this time: Fear-free, Violence-free, Intimidation-free, Inducement-free, Raid-free, Booth and Source Jamming-free will they surely be ECI’s Straight-talk to Trinamool Congress This time, the Elections in West Bengal would surely be: Fear-free, Violence-free, Intimidation-free, Inducement-free and without any Raid, Booth Jamming and Source Jamming.”
The TMC issued a strong response saying: “We are also speaking to the Election Commission in a straightforward manner. This time, the elections must be: Free from Delhi’s control, Free from political bias, Free from targeted persecution of anyone, And certainly free from double standards.” TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale took to X to deny the ECI’s claim about its “ultimatum” to the TMC. “This is a LIE. I was personally present at the meeting. NOTHING like this was said. All that CEC Gyanesh Kumar said to us was “GET LOST”. “We challenge the ECI to release a transcript of the meeting. Else we will do it,” Saket Gokhale posted on X.
