Did Suvendu Adhikari Meet Bengal Governor to Discuss Trinamool's Alleged Voter Harassment?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Kolkata, Feb 2 (NationPress) On Monday, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, accused the Trinamool Congress and its consultancy firm I-PAC of being complicit in the harassment of individuals summoned by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearings.
A delegation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by LoP Adhikari, met with Governor C.V. Ananda Bose at the Lok Bhaban in Kolkata, informing him of the distress faced by numerous voters due to alleged errors made by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), and District Election Officers (DEOs), purportedly under the influence of I-PAC.
Later that day, the West Bengal BJP lodged formal complaints at DEO offices statewide against these alleged unlawful practices.
These claims emerged as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee confronted security personnel outside Banga Bhawan in Delhi, asserting her visit aimed to seek justice for families affected by the SIR process, rather than to incite protests.
In statements to the press outside Lok Bhavan, LoP Adhikari accused Banerjee and I-PAC of instilling fear among the populace concerning the SIR since the voter revision initiative commenced on November 4 of the previous year.
He further alleged that Chief Minister Banerjee has manipulated I-PAC operatives to pressure BLOs appointed by the ECI into committing errors on the enumeration forms essential for the SIR.
LoP Adhikari indicated he has reached out to State Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty for a meeting to discuss these concerns.
"It’s well known how Chief Ministers from other states interact with LoPs, MPs, and opposition leaders, contrasting sharply with the treatment we receive from our Chief Minister here in West Bengal. Over the last five years, 86 false cases have been filed against me by her police in our state. Now, in an attempt to instill fear among voters for political gain in the upcoming Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress, alongside I-PAC, has compelled BLOs and other officials involved in the SIR to make deliberate errors that lead them to hearings," remarked the BJP leader.