Synopsis
On March 11, a delegation of Trinamool Congress MPs from Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha will meet the Election Commission of India to address the issue of bogus voters in West Bengal. The meeting is set for 5.30 p.m. and aims to demand Unique IDs for EPIC cards.Key Takeaways
- Trinamool Congress delegation to meet ECI.
- Focus on addressing bogus voter issue.
- Demand for Unique IDs for EPIC cards.
- Political tensions regarding Abhishek Banerjee's absence.
- Meeting scheduled for 5.30 p.m. today.
Kolkata, March 11 (NationPress) A ten-member delegation of Trinamool Congress MPs, representing both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, is scheduled to meet the full Bench of the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday afternoon to address the issue of bogus voters in West Bengal.
Interestingly, on Monday, Kalyan Banerjee, a four-time Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member and senior advocate at the Calcutta High Court, voiced concerns in the Lok Sabha, accusing the ECI of lacking transparency on this critical issue.
Political analysts suggest that by vocalizing these concerns on Monday, the veteran MP signaled that the ten-member delegation would be quite assertive while presenting their arguments during the interaction with the ECI's full Bench on Tuesday afternoon.
Insiders from the Trinamool Congress indicated that during their discussion with the ECI, the delegation would strongly advocate for the implementation of Unique IDs for EPIC cards, similar to those used in Aadhaar cards and passports.
Earlier, on March 6, a four-member delegation led by Subrata Bakshi, the party’s state vice-president, met with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, submitting a memorandum stressing the need for Unique IDs for EPIC cards.
“During our discussions with the ECI’s full Bench today, we will be demanding a specific assurance regarding this matter along with a defined timeline,” stated a member of the ten-member delegation.
The meeting is set for 5.30 p.m. on Tuesday.
The delegation will be led by Derek O'Brien, the leader of the Trinamool Congress' Parliamentary party in the Rajya Sabha.
The other nine MPs include Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Kalyan Banerjee, Asit Kumar Mal, Sagarika Ghosh, Kirti Azad, Sazda Ahmed, Abu Taher Khan, Saket Gokhale, and Prakash Chik Baraik.
However, political tensions have surfaced in West Bengal regarding the absence of Abhishek Banerjee, the party's general secretary and Lok Sabha MP, from the list of delegates meeting with the Commission's full Bench.
Last week, Abhishek Banerjee did not attend the important initial meeting of the Trinamool Congress' internal core committee, established by Mamata Banerjee, to review the voters' list in the state and identify bogus voters, despite being second on the list of core committee members.
