‘Lie’: TMC rejects EC’s claim of disposing of complaint within 20 hours

The Trinamool Congress on Monday refuted the Election Commission’s claim that it acted within 20 hours on the former’s complaint against West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar.

TMC MP Saket Gokhale said that the poll body did not respond to them. “This is a LIE. The ECI has NOT “acted within 20 hours” like they’re claiming in the media,” Gokhale said in a post on X.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) complained to the Election Commission on Saturday against Majumdar. The party later claimed that the EC hadn’t acted over its complaint.

The EC on Monday rejected allegations made by the TMC of delay or inaction on its complaints, saying it acted within 20 hours of receiving the party’s complaints on by-polls.

The EC also issued a show cause notice to West Bengal BJP president Majumdar on Monday for his alleged remarks on the national emblem and the state police.

“The Complaint was submitted personally by a 5-MP delegation led by our Floor Leaders in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on 9th Nov (Saturday),” Gokhale said.

The EC, however, didn’t even bother to meet or even respond, he claimed.

“And now – when campaigning ends at 5 pm today – they’re doing this drama of a “notice”. Shame that the Election Commission has openly become a wing of the BJP,” the TMC MP said.

The TMC had also alleged misuse of central forces in West Bengal.

In a response to the complaint addressed to TMC’s Rajya Sabha Parliamentary Party leader Derek O’Brien on Monday afternoon, the EC said it is “surprising” that even after the prompt action by the Commission “within 20 hours” of receipt of representation on November 9 afternoon, there had been “unwarranted comments of delay”.

The TMC had complained to the EC alleging that CAPF personnel were operating without the mandated presence of state police.

With inputs from PTI