Kolkata, Sep 23 (IANS): Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday demanded that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar be impeached and arrested immediately, alleging that he conducted assembly polls in several states after deleting names of genuine voters through the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise.
Banerjee went live on Facebook in the afternoon and demanded the CEC’s arrest. Referring to reported differences within the top brass of the Election Commission of India (ECI), she claimed the “ill-deeds” of the CEC had now been exposed.
According to her, by resorting to electronic voting machine (EVM) hijacking, voter list manipulation, and administrative interference, the CEC helped the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win assembly elections in several states, including West Bengal earlier this year.
“Now, I demand that fresh voting should be conducted according to the old voter lists. Gyanesh Kumar has been exposed,” Banerjee said in her social media message.
She further alleged that the CEC first helped the BJP grab power at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and later win assembly elections in several states.
“The current CEC was solely responsible for bringing back the BJP to power in 2024. He is not fit for this chair. He is solely responsible for the ultimate dictatorship that the BJP is running. Gyanesh Kumar has misused the police and central forces in elections after election. As long as he is in the chair, the movement against him will continue. Even though an impeachment was brought against him, the Speaker did not allow it to be presented in the Lok Sabha. He should not be just impeached. He should be arrested also,” Banerjee said.
She also launched a scathing attack against the current BJP-ruled state government in West Bengal.
“In the last four months, around 65 people have been killed. The state police are operating as an extended arm of the BJP. But I want to caution the police. The BJP will not be in power forever. But they will have to stay in the state with their families,” the former Chief Minister said.
