Bhabanipur BJP candidate gets EC notice over alleged poll code violation

BJP's Bhabanipur candidate Priyanka Tibrewal was issued a show-cause notice by the Election Commission after the TMC complained that she violated a poll code

BJP's Bhabanipur candidate Priyanka Tibrewal was issued a show-cause notice by the Election Commission after the TMC complained that she violated the poll code by gathering a large number of supporters while filing her nomination.

In its complaint, the TMC alleged that Tibrewal violated the Model Code of Conduct and COVID-related guidelines by gathering "an unruly mob" of not less than 500 without any permission.

She even performed 'Dhunuchi Nach' (traditional Bengali dance, generally performed during Durga Puja) at places on the way to file her nomination, the TMC claimed.

The notice issued by the returning officer on Tuesday also referred to the report submitted by the officer-in-charge of the Bhabanipur police station where he mentioned traffic congestion following a big assembly of BJP supporters on Sambhunath Pundit Street and other places.

Tibrewal, however, rubbished the allegations.

She claimed on Wednesday that the TMC was scared of her contesting the September 30 by-election and to stop her from campaigning had registered such a complaint with the Election Commission.

"The Election Commission has sent me a letter after the TMC filed a complaint alleging that I had taken a huge number of people when I had gone to file my nominations and thus violated the Model Code of Conduct as well as COVID-19 protocols. I will reply whatever will be my answer," she said.

"But, I would like to point out that other than Suvendu Adhikari there was no one in the vehicle in which I had gone to file my nomination," Tibrewal said.

The BJP supporters travelled on their own, she said.

"I had not led any crowd. It's not my duty to see who was on the roads on bikes and four-wheelers. It's the job of the police and the local administration," she added.

Tibrewal is up against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress candidate, and CPI(M)'s Srijib Biswas in the bypoll. The votes would be counted on October 3.

Banerjee has to win this bypoll to retain her chief minister's post after having lost to Aadhikari in Nandigram in the assembly elections held earlier this year.