TMC delegation meets CEC Nasim Zaidi, seeks national status for party

A delegation of All India Trinamool Congress met the Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi in the national capital on Friday, seeking ‘national status’ for the party. A four-member delegation of senior party leaders submitted a letter to Zaidi and claimed that the party secures the valid vote percentage in four states, West Bengal, Tripura, Manipur, and even in Arunachal Pradesh.

 The guideline The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, was promulgated by the Election Commission on 31st August, 1968, in exercise of its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution and Rules 5 and 10 of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 says, to get “National Status”, a regional party (i)  must secure at least six percent(6%) of the valid votes polled in any four or more states, at a general   election to the House of the People or, to the State Legislative Assembly; and (ii)    in addition, it wins at least four seats in the House of the People from any State or States.

 

Adding to this, TMC considers the historical win for the second time, even with more vote percentages as the victory of democracy. Though TMC alleges BJP at the center for misusing its power during the last Assembly election and demanded to conduct a review on the floor of the house.

The party in earlier also questioned over Election Commission’s function and claimed that the Election Commission is being impartial.

 The party on Friday urged to  review the appointment of the election commissioners, as the procedure for appointing the members of the Election Commission is conducted by the Government. Now the Election Commission is run by Government officials.

 It might be mentioned that Articles 324, 325 and 326 are applicable where law does not exist. But no situation of lawlessness was evident during the entire election process in West Bengal. Erratic transfers of 76 officers in West Bengal, including the police commissioner of Kolkata, without any valid reason, raised doubts whether the ECI (Election Commission of India) was carrying out some political vendetta or not, party top brass mentioned.

 The party also took a dig to the center for using the CRPF during the election unnecessarily. The enforcement of Section 144 in a large number of constituencies without any rhyme or reason prevented many voters from exercising their constitutional right, TMC also claimed.

 Keeping the atrocities in the backdrop, it is high time a legislation is formulated to define the powers of the Election Commission for upholding democracy, TMC demanded.