Mamata Banerjee writes to EC, seeks peaceful completion of Elections

by Madhvi Bansal
Mamata Banerjee

Adding fuel to the fire between TMC and BJP, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has now written a letter to the Election Commission requesting it to let the polls be completed peacefully and impartially, without the interference of any party, especially the BJP

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In her letter, the Trinamool Congress supremo said that it was the duty of the Election Commission to ensure that the elections took place without any undue interference. 

Mamata accuses BJP of undue interference

Mamata, along with a host of other opposition leaders, had earlier accused the BJP of being in cahoots with the EC. This comes after “a series of unconstitutional and biased” decisions taking by the Election Commission after undue influence by the ruling party. She wrote that as a direct result of the decisions taken, several innocent people were harassed and their normal routine of life was disturbed. 

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Mamata accuses EC Officer 

She has mentioned in her letter how the police officer appointed by the Commission chose to withdraw Section 144 in the area where Amit Shah’s rally was scheduled to take place, thereby defying and defaming the State Government. 

BJP counters Mamata’s accusations

The top politicians of the ruling party have been silent on this, however certain Party officials at the state level have called this a classic case of pinning the blame. According to them, Mamata and her party is all set to lose the upcoming elections, and they are just trying to pin the blame on whoever they can. They have said that this blame on the Election Commission is just the latest in a long line of accussations, including but not limited to the Prime Minister, the Supreme Court, the Election Commission, and even the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). 

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The Beginning of the War between the Parties

The tensions had erupted on the 14th of May, where violence began in one of Amit Shah’s roadshows in the Bidhan Sarani area in North Kolkata. The condition became so serious that Shah had to be escorted back to his residence by the police. As a consequence of the riots, a bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, one of Bengal’s key figures and reformers, was destroyed. It is still unclear which side was behind the destruction. 

Since then, BJP and TMC have been in a war of sorts. With all 7 phases successfully concluded and the results set to come out on 23rd May, it remains to be seen who has won.