EC sends show cause notice to two Trinamool leaders

Kolkata, March 20 (IANS) The Election Commission on Wednesday slapped showcause notices on Trinamool Congress leaders Jitendra Kumar Tiwari and Anubrata Mondal, following the BJP's complaint against the duo and two state ministers from the ruling party for violation of the model code of conduct.

Earlier in the day, the BJP had lodged a complaint with the poll panel accusing the Trinamool leaders including state ministers Firhad Hakim and Rabindranath Ghosh of "intimidation" and resorting to "malafide campaigning" against the EC to derail its intention for holding free and fair polls.

In West Bardhaman district, Asansol Mayor and Trinamool MLA Tiwari had announced monetary benefits for his councillors for ensuring a lead for party candidates in their municipal wards while Mondal, the party's President in Birbhum district, had advocated violence obliquely, the BJP said in its complaint signed by state Vice President Jay Prakash Majumdar.

"We have asked for a factual report in all for cases. The DEO of Birbhum and West Bardhaman districts have already given a show cause notice," Additional Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, Sanjay Basu told reporters.

The BJP also complained that Hakim, also the Kolkata Mayor, had in a television interview said that the central police forces would be there for only a few days and "afterwards the state law and order would be looked after by the state police".

"The tone and tenor of his statement was nothing but a veiled threat to the voters to create an atmosphere of fear," Majumdar said in his complaint.

About Ghosh, Majumdar alleged that the minister had made an "inciting" speech against the central forces, and "encouraged party workers to rig the poll".

Basu said, "Once all the reports come from the respective DEOs, action will be taken as per the Commission's rule."

He said that they were "still waiting" for BJP MP Babul Supriyo to "give the reply to the show cause notice" served on him by the commission.

The Election Commission on Tuesday sent the notice to Supriyo for failing to seek required permission before releasing videos of his party theme song for Bengal on social media.

Sharing the details of 'c-Vigil App', Basu said, "As many as 1,268 complaints have been registered so far, out of which 789 have been resolved."

Also, 1,151 complaints were received via the EC's National Grievance Services (NGS) portal and 436 of them have been resolved, he added.

He also said that a cumulative seizure of cash amounting of over Rs 70 lakh and fake Indian currency notes (FICN) of face value Rs 2.5 lakh have been made by police and Election Commission officials across the state.

As many as 96 weapons, 293 rounds of ammunition, 46 bombs, 18,200 kg of ammonium nitrate, 333.23 kg ganja, 1,162.6 litres of country spirit, 7,684.73 litres of illicit liquor and other items have also been seized.