In the continuing West Bengal meeting polls, the Election Commission (EC) faces its hardest credibility check in latest instances. The state’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleges that EC “appears to be under the command” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On the opposite hand, the BJP argues that the ballot watchdog is just not as swift or stringent towards chief minister Mamata Banerjee because it ought to have been.
The TMC described EC’s Monday transfer to ban Banerjee from campaigning for twenty-four hours as a “black day for democracy”. On Tuesday, the CM sat on a protest in Kolkata towards the transfer. Later in the evening, she is going to maintain two rallies after the ban ends at 8pm.
This got here after her controversial speeches interesting to Muslim voters to unite behind the TMC, and later asking folks to gherao central forces in the event that they impede voting. Leaders in the BJP informed News18 that the ban ought to have been extra stringent, for at the least 72 hours.
‘KID-GLOVE TREATMENT’
“EC generally bans campaigners for hate speeches. In this case, a blatant communal call was coupled with a threat to security forces that led to a serious law-and-order situation in Sitalkuchi, where five people lost their lives (in the fourth phase of polling on April 10),” a BJP chief mentioned.
In the previous, EC has banned campaigners for longer intervals, in response to BJP leaders.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath was banned for 72 hours for his “Ali-Bajrangbali” feedback, whereas Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)’s Mayawati was banned for 48 hours for interesting to Muslim voters to not vote for the Congress. The identical 12 months, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Azam Khan and the BJP’s Maneka Gandhi had been banned for 72 hours and 48 hours, respectively. Khan made an objectionable comment on Jaya Prada. Gandhi requested Muslims to vote for her. Pragya Thakur, too, was banned for 72 hours in 2019.
In 2020, EC banned BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma for 72 hours and 96 hours, respectively, throughout the Delhi elections. “But Banerjee is still getting a kid-glove treatment,” the BJP chief informed News18.
TMC LIVID
EC is, nevertheless, going through extra hearth from the TMC with CM Banerjee saying the ballot watchdog ought to rename its Model Code of Conduct the “Modi Code of Conduct”.
The TMC has questioned why no motion was taken towards BJP chief Suvendu Adhikari for his feedback comparable to “begum” and “mini-Pakistan” throughout campaigning in Nandigram a fortnight in the past. EC did problem him a discover on April 8, however no motion was initiated. EC issued him a warning on Tuesday, although there was no ban.
After motion towards Banerjee, EC’s position was beneath additional scrutiny, particularly in view of the controversial feedback by BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh and Rahul Sinha after the Sitalkuchi deaths in Cooch Behar. While Ghosh mentioned “naughty boys fell to bullets” and that there can be a repeat if somebody overstepped boundaries, Sinha remarked that “eight people should have been killed instead of four” in Sitalkuchi.
“We have given a complaint to EC. Let us see if they have the courage to act against BJP leaders like they did against the CM,” a TMC chief mentioned.
Hours later, the ballot watchdog banned Sinha for 48 hours from campaigning, paying attention to his speech suo motu (on its personal). Separately, it sought Ghosh’s response explaining his stand by Wednesday morning, appearing on a TMC criticism.
“If complaints are not there, EC should take suo motu action. This election is a test of EC’s credibility…despite so many forces being sent to the state, violence has happened, and statements are flying thick and fast,” a former senior EC functionary mentioned, requesting anonymity.
EC’s actions appeared geared toward cooling tempers after the Sitalkuchi incident and forward of the fifth part of polling on April 17.
Sources in EC mentioned whereas the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)’s A Raja was banned for 48 hours for his touch upon chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami in the run-up to the Tamil Nadu meeting polls, BJP’s Himanta Biswa Sarma was banned for 48 hours in Assam; Sarma’s ban was decreased to 24 hours after he apologised, however no apology appears forthcoming from Banerjee.
GETTING AROUND THE BAN
Politicians, nevertheless, have their approach. CM Adityanath went on a temple go to spree in 2019 throughout his three-day ban, managing to ship a message to voters. Banerjee sat on a protest on the Gandhi Murti in Kolkata round Tuesday midday together with senior TMC leaders, an occasion that was televised and therefore served her political goal of efficient messaging — akin to that in a marketing campaign.
The TMC is anticipated to money in on this ban politically, together with the Sitalkuchi incident that some consider might be a political lifeline for Banerjee’s get together in the center of the elections.
However, BJP leaders mentioned these had been “desperate tactics” and received’t assist the TMC, similar to the CM’s wheelchair marketing campaign received’t reap any dividends for the ruling get together. “Her unpopularity is so huge that nothing can reverse it. The Sitalkuchi incident has emboldened BJP voters in the state…free and fair voting will happen as the central forces are here to act,” a BJP functionary mentioned.
Political observers, in the meantime, mentioned EC didn’t face assaults of this nature because the 2019 elections when the Congress accused it of defending the PM and Amit Shah. The election physique’s pointers on Covid-19 protocols, too, are being overtly violated in Bengal at a time when the nation is reeling beneath a second wave.
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