TMC complains central forces 'biased' towards BJP

A day after the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections, a high-level Trinamool Congress delegation, led by Yashwant Sinha, met the Election Commission with a complaint alleging central police forces acted with partiality in favour of the BJP on behalf of the instructions passed by PM Modi and Home Minister Shah.

Kolkata: A high-level Trinamool Congress delegation, led by Yashwant Sinha, former Cabinet minister and now TMC vice president and state minister Subrata Mukherjee, on Friday, met the Election Commission with a complaint alleging central police forces acted with partiality in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at certain polling centres.

Sinha told reporters after meeting the Chief Electoral Officer Aariz Aftab that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are influencing the poll process by passing on instruction from Delhi.

"We have told the poll panel, the role of central forces have been partial in many booths in the first two phases. There have been incidents of violence and attacks on our party supporters by the BJP. We have asked the EC to see to it this was not repeated in the next six phases," Sinha said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday had also accused central forces deployed in Nandigram constituency, where she is locked in battle with her former lieutenant, Suvendu Adhikari now with the BJP, of helping the saffron party.

Sinha also said, "Union Home Minister Amit Shah is doing everything possible to influence people's verdict in favour of the BJP by preventing the voters opposed to his party to exercise their franchise. This has to stop."

He said the TMC also flagged the issue of malfunctioning of EVMs during the delegation's interaction with the EC.

Referring to the tweet by Prime Minister Narendra Modi predicting the BJP will get a majority in the West Bengal assembly after the first phase of polling, Sinha quipped, "We are yet to see any tweet by the PM after the second phase. We are waiting for his tweet again."

The former finance and external affairs minister in the Vajpayee cabinet predicted a "landslide victory by Trinamool Congress despite provocations and interference by the BJP (in the polling process)."

Mukherjee added "I have seen elections for the last 50 years. (But) I have never witnessed such blatant interference in the election process by the government in Delhi before."

TMC Rajya Sabha member Dola Sen was also part of the delegation.

(With inputs from agencies)