EC Sends Notice to Mamata Banerjee for Asking Muslims to Vote En-bloc for TMC, Seeks Clarification

The Election Commission has sent a notice to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleging her recent speech was in violation of the model code of conduct and has demanded a reply in 48 hours.

Taking cognisance of a complaint filed by BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the poll panel sought clarification from Banerjee regarding her April 3 speech in Hooghly’s Tarakeshwar where, while addressing a public rally, she appealed to Muslim voters to ‘not let their votes be split’.

The BJP on Monday approached the Election Commission seeking action against Banerjee alleging that she has violated Representation of the People’s Act by asking Muslims to come together and vote for her party TMC in the state assembly polls. A BJP leaders’ delegation, including Naqvi, party’s national secretary Sunil Deodhar, its leader GVL Narasimha Rao, met top officials of the poll panel and submitted a memorandum demanding action against Banerjee and her party.

After the meeting, Naqvi said that in an election speech TMC chief Mamata Banerjee appealed to Muslim voters not to let their votes be split among different parties and asked them to cast their votes en-bloc to her party. “She has not only violated the essentials of the Model Code of Conduct by making such remarks but this is also a criminal violation of the Representation of People Act, 1951. The poll panel should initiate action against Mamata Banerjee and her party for this violation,” Naqvi said.

Read all the Latest News and Breaking News here