Four days after the announcement of the byelection date in Bhabanipur, from where Mamata Banerjee will contest her election to the Assembly, the Bharatiya Janata Party approached the Election Commission (EC) alleging violation of the rules and model code of conduct by the West Bengal Chief Minister. The BJP, on Tuesday, claimed that she had violated the rules and MCC by giving financial grants to Durga Puja committees/clubs.
A West Bengal BJP delegation including state vice president Pratap Banerjee, party leader Shishir Bajoria and Balurghat MP Sukanta Majumdar visited the EC office in Kolkata. “We urge EC to take action against Bhabanipur candidate Mamata Banerjee including restraining her from participating in ensuing bypoll for violating the MCC by announcing cash rewards for Durga Puja committees despite the declaration of the bypoll date,” the BJP delegation said.
The BJP delegation also handed over a letter to Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal in this regard. “We draw your attention to the program organised by the West Bengal Government in the Netaji Indoor Stadium addressed by the unelected Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Chief Secretary. In this program, the Durga pujo committees were invited wherein cash donation and other facilities by the state government were announced for 36,000 committees in the state including 2,500 committees in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area,” reads BJP’s letter to EC. The development came after the West Bengal government on Tuesday announced that Rs 50,000 financial assistance will be granted to every Puja committee in the state.
After meeting EC officials, Shishir Bajoria said, “We have complained to the EC about the violation of the rules. Grants are being given to the Puja committees. This money is being given to the committees by breaking the rules during the election. We will also go to the Central Election Commission in this regard.”
Also, the BJP has been heard demanding that the armed forces be used for the byelections in Bhabanipur and the Murshidabad constituencies. There are fears in the BJP that there could be violence in the polls in only these seats. The party wants armed central forces in every booth.
Mamata Banerjee has to fight the byelection as she lost the election to the Assembly to Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP earlier in the year from the Nandigram seat.