Trinamool files complaint with EC against Bengal Governor

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress, on Thursday, filed a complaint with the Election Commission against West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, accusing the latter of trying to interfere and influence the first phase of polling for three Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.

Sources said the complaint from the ruling party is pertaining to the information surfacing on Wednesday that on Friday the Governor will be camping at Cooch Behar, one of the three Lok Sabha constituencies going for polls on Friday.

However, soon after the information surfaced, the Commission, on Wednesday only, sent a communique to the office of the Governor to refrain from going to Cooch Behar on the polling day since that would amount to a violation of the model code of conduct.

Sources in the CEO's office said that Trinamool Congress had pointed out that the Governor had expressed a wish to be at Cooch Behar during the “silence period” starting from the end of the campaign phase on Wednesday afternoon till the beginning of the polling on Friday morning.

The sources further said that in the complaint the ruling party has expressed apprehension that if the Governor is allowed to visit the constituencies concerned during the polling day or the silence period, he will hold meetings with the BJP leaders there.

To recall, on March 16, the day the Election Commission announced the polling schedule, the Governor said that he would be on the field from day one. “I will hit the streets at 6 a.m. I will be available to the people. The political ‘holi’ with human blood that happened in the panchayat elections last year should not be allowed anymore,” the Governor said on that day.