News Analysis India

Tag: show cause notice

  • Bhabanipur BJP candidate gets EC notice over alleged poll code violation

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: 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.

  • TMC issues show-cause notice to Uttarpara MLA after resignation from party posts

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to Uttarpara MLA Prabir Ghoshal after his resignation from two party posts, alleging he was not being allowed carry on work in his constituency by a powerful section within the TMC.

    Ghosal, who made it clear that he will continue to be a member of the assembly and did not have immediate plans to desert the TMC, was asked to explain “why he discussed internal party affairs with the press” and cautioned “not to do such things in future”, a source said.

    He resigned as a member of the Hooghly district committee and also quit as TMC spokesperson.

    “I have been forced to take this decision as there is an active lobby in the party that is not allowing me to do my work in my constituency. I will still continue to be MLA keeping in mind the needs of people,” Ghoshal told reporters here.

    He also alleged that a conspiracy is being hatched to defeat him in the upcoming assembly polls “if I contest again from the Uttarpara seat”.

    Ghoshal claimed the TMC fared poorly in the Lok Sabha polls from the seat due to “infighting” within the party.

    “An important road connecting Kanaipur with Nabagram is in poor shape since long, and all my representations to the higher authorities have failed.

    It seems a vested interest is at work to not allow good people to stay in the party,” the disgruntled TMC leader said.

    In Uttarpara, a group of TMC supporters demonstrated before his office in Konnagar, demanding that “all rotten products within the party be removed with immediate effect before they can sabotage it”.

    A TMC district leader said Ghosal could have sorted out differences with the party instead of going public.

    Meanwhile, another rebel party leader Rajib Banerjee, who had recently resigned as the state’s forest minister, vowed to contest from the Domjur constituency in the elections, due in April-May.

    “Wherever I go, I will contest from Domjur.

    The people of the constituency know which person always stands by their side.

    People of Domjur will prove who is the true member of their family,” he said when asked if he would attend the scheduled meeting of Home Minister Amit Shah in Howrah later in the week.

    After Banerjee quit, Srirampore TMC MP Kalyan Bandyopadhyay had dared him to contest from Domjur if he decides to leave the party.

    Earlier Bally MLA Baishali Dalmiya was expelled from the party on grounds of breach of discipline.

    TMC sources said there was speculation that all the three might join the BJP during Shah’s meeting in the district.

    TMC turncoat and saffron party leader Suvendu Adhikari has said “they are welcome to join the BJP.”