TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee slammed the Election Commission and former West Bengal CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal, alleging bias towards the BJP during polls. He claimed the election was rigged, TMC agents were lynched, and central forces acted as looters.
TMC MP Alleges EC-BJP Collusion in West Bengal
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission and West Bengal’s former Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal, alleging bias and collusion during the electoral process.
Referring to the conduct of the election machinery, Banerjee said the Election Commission did not act impartially and instead favoured the BJP during the polls. “We have said this several times that the Election Commission did not act fairly, rather they favoured the BJP…there was a complete understanding between the CEO and the BJP…in the counting halls, they rigged the whole election. Candidates and agents of TMC were lynched and thrown away…CISF and CRPF have played the role of looters…rampant rigging had been done,” he alleged.
Former CEO Appointed West Bengal Chief Secretary
His remarks came in response to the recent administrative development in which the BJP government recently appointed West Bengal CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal as the Chief Secretary.
“The Governor is pleased to appoint Manoj Rumar Agarwal, (AS (WB:1990), Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, and ex officio Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs (Election) Department, Govt. of West Bengal, as Chief Secretary to the Government of West Bengal until further order(s),” a notification from the West Bengal government read.
Criticism Extends to Kerala Appointment
Extending his criticism beyond West Bengal, the TMC leader also referred to the appointment of former Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar as Secretary to the Chief Minister in Keralam VD Satheesan, terming it “wrong”.
On Kelkar’s appointment, he said, “It is wrong. This appointment does not satisfy the Constitution of morality itself.” A controversy has erupted after the UDF government in Keralam on Saturday appointed State Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar as the Secretary to the CM. “Dr. Rathan U Kelkar IAS (KL 2003), Chief Electoral Officer, Kerala & Secretary, Election Department, is transferred and posted as Secretary to the Chief Minister,” the government order read. (ANI)
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