New Delhi, Oct 3 (IANS): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in West Bengal and Bihar have hit out at the Opposition over its protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the INDIA Bloc of allegedly spreading misleading propaganda and attempting to draw media attention ahead of elections.
West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh said the Opposition was raising the issue of the Election Commission because elections were approaching in several states, while the corporation elections in Bengal had also created a need for an issue.
“In the country, elections are coming up in several states, so before that, the INDIA alliance pops up out of nowhere. In Bengal, corporation elections are happening, so they need an issue. But neither in the country nor in Bengal do they have any real issue left. They are just making nonsensical statements to try and get media attention, nothing else,” Ghosh claimed.
He also defended CEC Gyanesh Kumar, saying that he holds a constitutional position and that the Opposition should instead prepare for elections and seek public support.
“Elections will happen, the results will come out, and they will lose, and they will keep shouting. Gyanesh Kumar, who holds a constitutional post, nobody has the courage to remove him. You go to the public, prepare for the elections, otherwise you will get the same result as the previous results,” he said.
Ghosh’s remarks came amid an escalating political confrontation between the Opposition and the Election Commission over the revision of electoral rolls. He has previously questioned the unity of the INDIA Bloc and claimed that its constituents do not respect each other.
Meanwhile, Bihar Minister Dilip Jaiswal also criticised the Congress over the Opposition’s protest against the CEC.
“Congress has become desperate for power. By spreading misleading propaganda, it wants to destabilise the entire country against the Election Commission,” Jaiswal told IANS.
“This madness for power and joining hands even with anti-national forces has now become the character of Congress,” Jaiswal alleged.
The remarks come as the INDIA Bloc, student organisations and civil society groups have held demonstrations demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the revision of electoral rolls. The Opposition has alleged that eligible voters were being removed from electoral rolls, while the Centre and the BJP have defended the Election Commission and rejected the allegations.
In the national Capital, members of the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Left parties and Rashtriya Janata Dal were among those who attempted to gather at Jantar Mantar. Section 163 was imposed in the area, and Delhi Police detained more than 1,100 demonstrators, including senior Left leaders M.A. Baby and Brinda Karat.
The INDIA Bloc has demanded the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar and raised objections to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls stating that over 13 crore Indians have been disenfranchised as their names have been dropped from the draft rolls by the EC during the SIR. The Opposition has also sought changes in the electoral-roll revision process and an effective mechanism for voters to appeal against exclusion.
The BJP, meanwhile, has rejected the Opposition’s allegations against the poll panel and accused its political rivals of targeting the EC. The dispute has emerged as a major political issue ahead of forthcoming elections in several states.
