TMC’s Derek O’Biren urges ‘SC Oversight’ for Lok Sabha Elections after Bengal DGP transfer

Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien on Tuesday called for Lok Sabha elections to be overseen by the Supreme Court, alleging that the BJP’s tactics are undermining the Election Commission of India (ECI). O’Brien criticized the BJP, accusing them of manipulating the electoral process ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

“BJP’s filthy tricks destroying institutions like ECI. Are BJP so nervous to face people that they are turning ECI into a party office to target Oppn? ECI or HMV? Transferring officers of elected State govts! For free & fair elections. We want a Supreme Court-monitored election,” O’Brien questioned in a statement posted on X.

Earlier, TMC Spokesperson Kunal Ghosh also condemned the Union Government following the ECI’s decision to replace DGP Rajeev Kumar.

“We have seen that the BJP is trying its best to grab different organisations including ECI. They have taken over the control of central agencies and different organisations. In this case also, after the announcement of Lok Sabha elections, what we saw today is the reflection of BJP. It is trying its best to grab and monitor the functioning of these kinds of organisations, including ECI,” Ghosh remarked.

The Trinamool Congress’s assertions come after the DGP of West Bengal, Rajeev Kumar, was replaced by a new IPS Officer, Vivek Sahay, by the ECI, in anticipation of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The ECI stated that the steps taken to replace the Bengal DGP and Home Secretaries of six states aimed to uphold the principles of transparency, fairness, and freedom in the electoral process.

The ECI, on Monday, issued orders for the removal of Home Secretaries in six states, namely Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Additionally, key officials of six states were also removed in what the ECI described as a decisive move towards ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections.

Furthermore, the Secretary of the General Administrative Department in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh has also been replaced.

The Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal are scheduled to be held in seven phases, commencing on April 19. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the TMC secured 22 seats with a vote share of 43.7 percent, while the BJP won 18 seats with a vote share of 40.6 percent. The Congress secured two seats in the state.