BJP urges EC to debar 2 TMC Ministers from fighting WB polls over alleged MCC violations

On Monday, BJP wrote to Election Commission of India over alleged Model Code of Conduct violations by West Bengal Ministers Firhad Hakim and Arup Roy. In a letter addressed to EC, Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta, BJP WB vice president Pratap Banerjee and Election Commissioner Team Conver Shishir Bajoria sought immediate cognizance of EC. It demanded that Hakim and Roy should be debarred from contesting elections and participating in entire electoral process. 

To buttress its stance, BJP attached a video clip that showed Hakim standing in a mosque on February 27 where he allegedly anunced favours for mirity community and urged people to defeat BJP. According to JP Nadda-led party, WB Urban Development Minister admitted that this incident happened after enforcement of MCC. Moreover, y claimed that money was distributed to people by Ramkrishnapur Co-operative Bank, Howrah on February 27 under "direct supervision" of state Cooperation Minister Arup Roy. 

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West Bengal Assembly polls

Mamata Banerjee-led TMC had swept 2016 Assembly polls by bagging 211 seats in 294-member Assembly. Buoyed by its success in 2019 Lok Sabha polls where it won 18 out of 42 parliamentary seats in WB, BJP has launched a fierce campaign to defeat TMC. Both Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda exuded confidence in party winning more than 200 seats in Assembly polls. Congress-Left-ISF alliance is also in poll fray while AIMIM too has anunced its intention to make its political debut in state. 

Anuncing dates of Assembly polls on February 26, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora mentioned that 18.68 crore persons will decide fate of 824 seats in 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 ir votes at 1,01,916 polling stations. As per phases, polling in state will be conducted on March 27, April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29.  counting of votes shall take place on May 2. 

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