Mamata had to comply with EC's decision: CPI leader

Communist Party of India (CPI)leader Gurudas Dasgupta on Wednesday said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had no choice but to comply with the Election Commission's decision on the transfer of six officials.

"Actually, she has not relented, she had to swallow a bitter pill. She had no other alternative, What she said was absolutely a challenge to democratic traditions, and all of which is accepted by the nation as a whole. The Election Commission is quasi-judiciary, and all its decisions are mandatory after the model code of conduct (MCC) comes in place. Therefore, she had no other way, she had to bow down as the constitution of the country says so. Even this suggestion has been made by her own officers," Dasgupta said.

The CPI leader also found it completely foolish on Banerjee's part to question why transfers are happening only during polls.

"So far, all these officers are coming back, it is ridiculous they are just transferred for the elections. After the elections, what is to be done depends on the state government. She is only saying that I have not relented, I have only accepted as I am being compelled. It is totally foolish to speak like this," Dasgupta said.

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had accepted the Election Commission of India's (ECI's) order to transfer five Superintendents of Police (SPs) and a district magistrate.

Banerjee's climbdown came after the poll panel rejected the state government's plea to revisit its decision on the transfer and gave a deadline of 10 a.m. Wednesday for it to comply with its orders.

Banerjee called a press conference in Durgapur at around 8.20 p.m. on Tuesday to announce her decision to agree to the transfers, but not the replacements decided by the poll panel.