Didi To EC: Why 1st Supplementary List At Midnight?

Launching a volley of questions, Ms Banerjee sought the EC to explain not only the delay behind the much-awaited list’s release but also its secrecy and the timing. She further tacitly wondered how many BJP workers’ names were added to it, mounting her attack of bias on the EC. “Why was the list released around midnight? People still don't know it. The list has not been circulated at the booths, blocks and districts till now,” the Trinamul Congress supremo alleged at the NSCBI Airport before flying to North Bengal for her Assembly poll campaign.

She claimed, “Two people died by suicide out of fear on Monday. With these, nearly 220 people have died here so far. Why is the EC fearing so much in publishing a list clearly? There must be no transparency in its job. The judges sorted out the names long back. Why did you still take five-six days to release the list? What else did you delete? Have the names from a political party been added to the list single-handedly?”

Interestingly, Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal Manoj Agarwal sounded unaware of the total number of fresh additions and deletions of voters' names in the first supplementary list even after 12 hours of its online release. He told the media, “Some problems happen when something new happens. It becomes stable later. Please check the website for the figure. I don't know and can't state the exact figure readily because it is not with me. We will keep uploading the names we get with e-sign on them from the judicial officers. That is our job in the supplementary list publication.”

The second supplementary list is expected to be out on Friday.

Meanwhile Ms Banerjee, targeting the BJP, pointed out, “I don't know what their political vendetta is and why they are cheating and misleading the people. They have no right to snatch the voting rights of the people. Remember, SIR will bring their end.” She then displayed the clipping of a photo containing the BJP seal in an EC letter which went viral and triggered a controversy in the last 24 hours.

“I want to show you proof that the EC is not impartial. The EC notification has the BJP symbol. At whose instructions is the EC functioning? Now the cat is out of the bag! Is it a clerical mistake or a deliberate attempt? Why are you playing through the backdoor? Play on the front foot. All understand what's happening,” the CM argued while slamming a block development officer’ transfer from Nandigram to Bhowanipore by calling him an aide of a Gaddar (read: leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari), change of 73 returning officers and removal of around 70 IAS and IPS officers for their dispatch outside Bengal.

The TMC supremo even indirectly urged the Congress and CPI(M) to jointly tackle the EC and BJP. “It's not the time to judge right or left. All should get united against what is going on. I am not asking them to support me. But there should be a joint fight.”