Bengal Elections: EC Biased, Giving Concession to TMC and BJP, Alleges CPI(M)

Kolkata: The Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s West Bengal state secretary alleged that the Election Commission is biased and accused it of allowing “undue concessions to the ruling parties at both the Centre and in West Bengal”, at a press conference on April 8.

The veteran CPI(M) leader was addressing a press conference at the Press Club in Kolkata, where he alleged that the EC has been prejudiced over the air transmission of the Prime Minister and other political leaders’ speech on poll days in West Bengal where Assembly elections are currently underway.

Notably, the serious allegation against the Election Commission has come at a time when the CPI(M) as well as the Sanjukto Morcha, the electoral alliance of which the Left party is a part, have been restrained over its comments on any quasi judicial body.

Dr Mishra alleged that the dates for the different phases have been arranged in such a manner that a single district is going to polls in several phases. As a result, speeches targetting live voters are being aired, but have been ignored by the Election Commission despite violating norms.

He also took a shot at incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for urging the voters, particularly in rural areas, to confront the central forces and criticised her for camping at a booth for over two hours. He further alleged that the elections are held in an atmosphere of communal polarisation created by the BJP and TMC and added that democracy and secularism are under attack by these forces.

Not only that, the CPI(M) state secretary levelled allegations against the central police force and a section of media who are trying to increase the politics of polarisation. The corporate funded elections are beneficial for the BJP and also the TMC, he claimed. “We are telling the people that a vote to TMC will be like voting for BJP and vice versa. TMC cannot fight against the BJP,” he said.

Highlighting that Election Commission is changing officers rapidly without any real gains, Dr Mishra said that the EC is adhering to the ruling party’s demands, not checking the EPIC cards of central forces being one among such demands.

“While rationalism is under attack, the Bihar election results have shown that the popular mandate is still with rationalists – a fact visible from the minimum difference in vote share,” he said, adding that allegations of CPI(M) of having a hand in poll attacks are false.

The Left leader also denied suggestions that the SM will extend support to the the TMC in case of lesser numbers, adding that there aim is to defeat both TMC and BJP by over 50% votes.