AP CM lashes out at EC, accuses it of ignoring TMC's complaints

After the Election Commission (EC) put a blanket ban on campaigning in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday accused the polling body of acting on BJP's complaint while ignoring TMC's grievances.

Naidu in a series of tweets alleged that the EC turned a deaf ear towards the woes of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led party.

"It is disturbing to see prompt action by the ECI on the complaint by BJP and Amit Shah in West Bengal, while conveniently ignoring the complaints of TMC," Naidu tweeted.

Earlier, the Election Commission decided to cut short the campaign period in the state after the violence broke out during BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow on Wednesday.

 

"No election campaigning to be held in nine parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal, namely Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, South and North Kolkata, from 10 pm tomorrow till the conclusion of polls," Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar told media.

Campaigning was originally scheduled to end at 5 pm on Friday for the nine constituencies that will go to polls on May 19.

Continuing his tirade against the Election Commission, the Chief Minister said, "Giving clean chits to Narendra Modi, taking unjustified prompt action after false complaints by BJP, willful inaction on genuine complaints by opposition parties; clearly raises doubts about the neutrality, impartiality, and fairness of the Election Commission of India."

"It's high time the ECI acts on the complaints made by opposition parties to restore its credibility and fulfill its constitutional mandate of conducting free and fair elections. The institutional integrity of the ECI and integrity of the democratic process of elections is at stake," he tweeted.

In another tweet, Naidu added, "It is even more disturbing to see conspicuous inaction of the ECI regarding the complaint of 22 political parties of the opposition, to validate EVM counting with the counting of at least 50% VVPAT slips in each assembly constituency."

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister has been critical of the Election Commission since the beginning of Lok Sabha polls. Time and again the leader has accused the election watchdog of bias.