BJP rubbishes TMC's charges against senior EC official; alleges 'WB govt is rattled'

BJP MP Arjun Singh hit back at TMC for demanding the removal of Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain as the EC's in-charge of the West Bengal Assembly polls on Thursday. Accusing Jain of filing a biased report after the vandalization of the Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar statue, TMC MP Derek O'Brien highlighted that no action was taken against BJP members allegedly responsible for this act. Observing that Jain's actions are favourable to BJP and unconstitutional, he made it clear that TMC had no confidence in him. 

However, Singh stated that the West Bengal Police had been unable to prove the involvement of his party workers in the vandalization of the statue. Contending that the WB government is rattled, he attributed the anger of TMC leaders to the EC's decision on conducting the Assembly election in 8 phases. According to the Barrackpore MP, the Mamata Banerjee-led party does not want impartial polls to take place. 

WB BJP vice president Arjun Singh remarked, "The Bengal police has inquired into the vandalization of the Vidyasagar statue. What came out of it? The involvement of BJP workers in the attack could not be proved. The Mamata Banerjee government is rattled. It has lost its ground. So, they have to blame someone. The Election Commission is being blamed. They are angry from the time when the Election Commission announced that the election will be conducted in 8 phases. They should be ashamed that there is a state government which neither the Election Commission nor an NGO trusts. They do not want impartial elections."

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Upcoming West Bengal election

Both BJP and the ruling TMC have launched a fierce campaign for the upcoming WB Assembly election. Announcing the dates of the Assembly polls on February 26, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora mentioned that 18.68 crore persons will decide the fate of 824 seats in the aforesaid 4 States and one Union Territory at 2.7 lakh polling stations. In West Bengal, 294 seats are up for grabs and people will be able to cast their votes at 1,01,916 polling stations. As per the phases, the polling in the state will be conducted on March 27, April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29. The counting of votes shall take place on May 2. 

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