Mamata Banerjee demands CEC Gyanesh kumar arrest, re‑polls in Bengal
Kolkata, September 23: Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday demanded the immediate arrest of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and holding of fresh assembly elections in the state based on the voter list before the SIR (Special Intensive Revision). She made serious allegations that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission colluded to rig the elections held earlier this year.
Her sharp reaction comes after recent reports claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised concerns over several key issues, including the deletion of names in various states during the SIR across the country. According to the report, the two commissioners had formally objected to decisions and orders related to the SIR at least 14 times in the past 10 months. Some of these decisions were allegedly taken without their knowledge. This revelation has sparked a major political controversy.
Addressing the public via Facebook Live, the former Chief Minister said that it has now been completely proven that the Election Commission and the ruling party colluded to rob the West Bengal Assembly elections. She warned that as long as Gyanesh Kumar remains in the position of Chief Election Commissioner, there will be widespread protests across the country. Mamata Banerjee said that the Chief Election Commissioner should be immediately arrested and put behind bars, as this constitutional post is not for someone like him.
She called this another fight for freedom from the compromised Election Commissioner and the forces ruining the country and called for fresh elections based on the old voter list.
However, the Election Commission has clarified these allegations, stating that all decisions related to the revision of the voter list were taken with the unanimous and full approval of the three commissioners. Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee informed that the constituent parties of the opposition alliance ‘All India Trinamool Congress’ have discussed this serious matter among themselves and an important meeting will be held soon.
It is noteworthy that this new controversy has emerged at a time when just a few days ago, the Election Commission banned the use of the name ‘All India Trinamool Congress’ and its traditional reserved election symbol of ‘flower and grass’ amid the ongoing internal factional dispute over control of the party.
Following this, the Commission allotted separate interim identities to both factions for the upcoming by-elections to be held on October 6. The Mamata faction has been assigned the name ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ and the election symbol of ‘football player’, while the opposing faction led by Arup Roy has been allotted the symbol ‘Democratic Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘envelope’.
