Mamata demands fresh polls, action against CEC

Former Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has demanded action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the holding of fresh elections in the State following reports in a national English daily that several decisions — including the deletion of names of voters via Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls — were implemented, overruling the opposition of other two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

Airing her grievances on social media, Banerjee on Wednesday said that as it had been proved that the “EC and BJP jointly looted votes” in the April-May Assembly elections, fresh elections should be conducted in the State.

“The chair of the CEC is not for a person like him,” she said, demanding strong action against Kumar and warning that “there will be nationwide protests” if actions were not taken now.

“You (BJP) have not won elections in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal... You have won the elections forcibly by deceit... So return the elections to the people,” Banerjee said.

“The BJP and CEC have destroyed India,” which is why a second struggle for freedom was required, she said.

Abhishek Banerjee, her nephew and party general secretary, too “condemned” the way “elections were conducted... The way people were cheated... to put one party at an advantage,” demanding fresh elections.

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh too said that “you cannot hide criminal acts for too long from too many people... as there finally God does the justice... Today the day of reckoning has come, and the wrongdoers who have played with people’s rights and sentiments must account for what they have done.”