NEW DELHI: Opposition parties are set to introduce a new motion to impeach Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, according to Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and spokesperson Derek O’Brien. At a press conference in Kolkata, O’Brien stated, “Nineteen political parties and around 300 MPs had previously filed an impeachment notice against the CEC. In the coming days, a fresh impeachment notice with additional charges will be introduced.”
Earlier this month, both Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman, Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, rejected the opposition’s notice to remove Kumar, who has faced allegations of bias towards the ruling BJP. The lead-up to the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal, where the TMC has governed since 2011 and aims for a fourth consecutive term, has been fraught with tension, particularly concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the Election Commission’s removal of IAS and IPS officers within the state. As the Model Code of Conduct is currently in effect, the Election Commission is overseeing state operations.
The previous motion against Kumar marked the first attempt to remove a sitting CEC. For context, 152 of West Bengal’s 294 assembly seats are scheduled to vote on Thursday, while the remaining 142 constituencies will participate in polling on April 29. The counting of votes is expected to take place on May 4.
Meanwhile, O’Brien alleged that the BJP, which holds power at the national level and serves as the main opposition in West Bengal, is orchestrating a “larger conspiracy” ahead of the second phase of the polls. He asserted, “We have credible information that a meeting has been convened by the home minister with the heads of the CBI, ED, and NIA. In the next 100 to 150 hours, some serious or devious action has been planned before the second phase of the polls.” O’Brien noted that such actions are likely to occur in districts of south Bengal.
Additionally, he claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is functioning as a “full-time BJP worker.” Shah, who is also the BJP’s chief strategist and a former party president, had stated earlier that he would spend 15 days in the state.
O’Brien further criticized the BJP for deploying “disproportionate force” in their efforts to unseat Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He emphasized, “To defeat a woman, you need 18 cabinet ministers, the prime minister, the home minister, the defence minister, several chief ministers, central agencies, and thousands of security personnel.”
