Kolkata, Feb 28 (UNI) Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Friday dashed off a letter to Election Commission of India (ECI) Gyanesh Kumar complaining against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing her of tarnishing the image of the national poll body.
Adhikari said Banerjee, while addressing the Trinamool Congress workers at Netaji Indoor Stadium on Thursday, questioned the CEC’s appointment alleging that the BJP was trying to influence the constitutional body,
“The TMC chief alleged that the BJP is trying to influence electoral processes in the country by filling positions such as CEC with BJP people and by doing so the BJP is trying to influence the Election Commission of India,”
“Today, I have written a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner of India regarding Mamata Banerjee’s blatant attempt to tarnish the image of the Election Commission of India by making baseless charges,” BJP leader Adhikari wrote on his X handle.
He alleged that the Trinamool Congress chief has “crossed all limits” by targeting the poll body, which is a permanent constitutional body “She had no right to question its appointment or integrity of the poll body,” the Nandigram MLA said.
“… she also asserted that unless the Election Commission of India becomes impartial, there cannot be free and fair elections,” Adhikari said in the letter.
Adhikari also alleged that the chief minister during the address to her party workers mentioned that the BJP had won elections in Delhi and Maharashtra by enrolling “fake voters” from Haryana and Gujarat, allegedly with the support of the Election Commission.
Meanwhile, senior state minister and Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Mayor Firhad Hakim said they would start house to house scrutiny from Saturday to check if there was any false or ghost voter in the electoral roll at block level.
“We will start as per our party chief’s (Mamata Banerjee) direction to do house to house check to see if any ghosh or false voter exists in block level,” Hakim, who is also state urban development minister, told reporters.
He said anyone can apply for enrolling his/her name in the voter list but there must be a physical verification before getting their name in the electoral roll.
“There had been negligence on the part of the poll body in enrolling the name of any voter without physical verification, which was done in two states or maybe in more (states). But our top leader identified it in West Bengal and we are starting to check if any ghost voter is in the electoral roll.” Hakim added.
