No proof of poll rigging, Central forces’ inappropriate conduct, says EC
The Election Commission of India has rejected Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s claim that the Central forces played a partisan role in the “rigged and violent elections” at Nandigram — particularly in the Boyal region — where Trinamool Congress voters could not allegedly cast their vote.
In a strongly-worded reply to Mamata’s letter to the Commission complaining gross electoral irregularities, the poll panel said nothing could be a “greater misdemeanour” than misguiding the “biggest stakeholders,” the voters.
The ECI was referring to the Chief Minister’s “far-from-the-truth” allegations suggesting the elections were not only rigged but also the Central forces were playing a partisan role.
“It was a matter of deep regret that a media narrative was sought to be weaved to misguide the biggest stakeholders … the voters by a candidate who also happens to be the CM … All this was done when the election process was/is on,” the Commission reportedly wrote to the Chief Minister.
Mamata had on the poll day of April 1 sat for two hours inside the booth with BJP and TMC workers facing each other menacingly outside the premises. It took a crafty handling of the situation by the security forces to evade a fight.
Refuting Mamata’s charges the poll panel wrote that there was no evidence at all to suggest that the BSF jawans deployed at the polling station, indulged in any inappropriate behaviour. The complaint that they did not allow the voters to go inside the booth is far from the truth, the EC said. The Trinamool Congress had alleged that the Central forces were trying to influence polling.
“It is self-evident from the perusal of all the reports that the allegations mentioned in your hand-written note are factually incorrect, without any empirical evidence whatsoever and devoid of substance,” the Commission reportedly wrote.
The Chief Minister had gone to the alleged booth at Boyal Maqtab Primary school following reports that the Trinamool voters were not being allowed to vote and that her party’s polling agent had been turned out of the booth.
However, Special observers Ajay Nayak (General) and Vivek Dube (Police) in their report submitted to the Commission on Saturday said quoting the reports of other officials that there was “no mention of either outsiders or guns and goons capturing the said booth.”
The EC also referred to the relevant CCTV footages claiming that there was no wrongdoing in the conduct of elections.
Meanwhile, in a related development the Chief Minister on Sunday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for trying to send out a message that the BJP had already won the elections.
Wondering whether the Prime Minister was a superhuman or God who could foresee the election results, Mamata said, “What do you (Modi) think of yourself, are you god or superhuman?” She was referring to a remark made by the Prime Minister that he would be present at the oath-taking ceremony of the BJP Government after May 2.
