Taking exception, Election Commission on Tuesday rejected the response of the West Bengal Chief Secretary to its show cause notice issued to Mamata Banerjee for prima facie violating the model code, and asked her to personally respond to it by April 22.
In a strongly-worded letter issued to Banerjee on Tuesday, the poll watchdog made it clear that the notice was issued to her in her capacity as Trinamool Congress head and not as Chief Minister of West Bengal.
Noting that “no response from you (Banerjee) has been received by the Commission so far”, the EC missive said, “the Commission, hereby makes it clear that the aforesaid notice was issued to you for MCC violation related to you as Chairperson of the All India Trinamool Congress and not to the state government of West Bengal, and therefore, the reply to that notice should have come to the Commission from you and not from (Chief Secretary) Basudeb Banerjee.”
It was also emphasised that if she fails to respond by April 22, “the Commission shall take a decision without further reference to you.”
While in the first notice she was referred to as Chief Minister, West Bengal, this time Banerjee has been referred to as Chairperson, Trinamool Congress.