West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday accused the Election Commission (EC) of working on the instructions of the Centre, as she lashed out at the poll panel for allegedly staying silent on the matter of banning public rallies in the state amid the Covid-19 crisis for several days to accommodate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled meetings. There are two rounds left in the fiercely fought eight-phase Bengal assembly elections in the state, with the BJP making an all-out bid to unseat the ruling Trinamool Congress and snatch the key state. Voting here will now take place on April 26 and 29, before counting on May 2.
“There is no doubt that the EC is working on the instructions of the Centre. The poll body was silent over banning roadshows, public rallies because PM Modi was supposed to hold meetings in Bengal. Interestingly, soon after the PM cancelled his meetings, the EC on Thursday night issued a notification to restrict political meetings,” the TMC chief said at a press conference. “What a coincidence! The PM cancelled his public meetings in Bengal and then the EC came up with restrictions on public rallies. It is unfortunate that the EC is busy appeasing the BJP leaders and doing nothing to maintain the sanctity of the organisation. Not only that, nearly 3 lakh BJP leaders from other states and paramilitary forces entered Bengal without any RT-PCR test…who knows that they are not spreading Covid-19 cases in Bengal.”