The ongoing tensions between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Election Commission of India (ECI) escalated on Wednesday after a meeting between the two sides ended on a sour note, angering TMC leaders.
The TMC delegation, which included Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien, deputy leader Sagarika Ghose, MPs Saket Gokhale and Menaka Guruswamy, met the entire bench of the Election Commission ahead of the Assembly elections.
The TMC reached the poll body office at 10 am and started meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Ganesh Kumar and Election Commissioners.
Read also: ‘Release the transcript’: Derek O’Brien challenges the European Commission over ‘get lost’ comments row
Following the conclusion of the meeting, Trinamul leaders alleged that the chief election commissioner asked them to “get lost” and the commission accused them of “shouting”.
Here’s everything that happened on Wednesday:
- What TMC leaders said: Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien said the delegation handed over nine letters written by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Ganesh Kumar, which the MP said were not recognised. The leaders also informed the EC of specific cases showing alleged links of some poll officials with the BJP and demanded their transfer. “Then he said, ‘Get out of my face,'” O’Brien said. “We had eight to nine meetings with the Election Commission. Except for the Central Election Commission, none of the other election commissioners spoke.”
- What led to TMC vs EC: The latest verbal disagreement between the two sides emerged even when sources in the polling body accused TMC leader Derek O’Brien of shouting at the election commissioners. “The CEC has asked Derek O’Brien to maintain decorum in the commission room. Yelling and inappropriate behavior are not appropriate,” the agency quoted EC sources as saying. As soon as the TMC delegation entered the meeting, the CEC noted the absence of their authorized representative, to which O’Brien asked if they were “unauthorized” and should leave, the report said, citing a source who was present at the meeting.
Also read: You were asked to ‘get lost’: Trinamool’s big claim over meeting with ECI; Derek O’Brien is accused of shouting
- What the Election Commission said: The poll body accused the TMC leaders of “screaming” and said it would ensure free and fair elections in the state. In a post on X, the European Commission said it had provided a “direct talk” to the TMC delegation. The EC said it had informed the TMC that “this time, the elections in West Bengal will certainly be: free of fear, free of violence, free of intimidation, free of temptations, and without any ‘chappa, confusion of booths and confusion of sources’.”
- Mamata opposes deletion of voters in court: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the TMC would move the court again to fight the delisting of voters from the rolls. These statements came after the names of nearly 91,000 voters were removed from the electoral rolls following the SIR report. “You will not be able to defeat the TMC by deleting names. We will move the court again to resist the exclusion of names,” Banerjee said.
Elections in West Bengal are scheduled to be held on April 23-29, while the counting of votes is scheduled to take place on May 4.
