Kolkata, May 14: A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation approached the Election Commission (EC) on Monday seeking strong action against the district magistrate of South 24 Parganas for sabotaging their party’s rallies and also accused the CEO office of favouring Trinamool.
Party’s national secretary Sunil V. Deodhar accused the DM Ratnakar Rao of sabotaging the BJP meetings and “working as an agent of Trinamool Congress”.
“It is common that political leaders will come, address the public and return for which everyone seeks permission from the commission. The way they cancelled BJP president Amit Shah’s rally, has caused confusion among the people. State administration of Bengal has sabotaged our party’s meetings,” Deodhar told media persons here.
He said that they have demanded Rao’s removal.
Also, apart from Shah’s rally, they haven’t got the permission for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath‘s rally and even Smriti Irani‘s meeting was called off at the last moment.
“Is this any kind joke? This way Mamata Banerjee is ruining Bengal’s name across the country ant this is not the state’s culture,” Deodhar said.
State BJP Vice President Jayprakash Majumdar, party leader Mukul Roy, and Jadavpur Lok Sabha candidate Anupam Hazra were also a part of the delegation. They held a sit-in protest outside the CEO office but withdrew it after getting an assurance from the commission.
“We all have strongly demanded an inquiry of the role played by District Electoral Officer of South 24 Parganas. He is not giving permissions for our rallies,” Roy said.
“Chief Minister moves around with a convoy of 26 vehicles and there is cash in all of them. Even Abhishek Banerjee moves in a convoy of 16 vehicles, each carrying cash that is later distributed,” Roy said.
According to him, they have never been stopped during the Naka checking.
“If the chief Minister can speak of searching the Prime Minister’s car, why should she be spared? The CEO office has turned into a Trinamool office,” Roy said.
It should be noted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) High-Level Delegation had met the Election Commission in a run-up to the national elections regarding blocking of rallies. It also requested the Poll Body to declare West Bengal a sensitive state.
General Elections 2019 is being held across seven phases starting April 11 to May 19. 59 seats under Phase-VI voted on May 12. Counting of the votes will be held on May 23. Voting of the remaining 118 constituencies will be held in two phases slated on May 12 and May 19.
Polling in West Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha Seat is being spread on all seven phases. 9 Lok Sabha seats of the state will go to polls in the last phase of the election slated for May 19.
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