War of words erupts between TMC and Election Commission after brief, tense meeting

New Delhi: The meeting between a Trinamool Congress delegation and the full bench of the Election Commission on Wednesday culminated on an acrimonious note, with the TMC saying the panel’s chief asked them to “get lost” at the end of the seven-minute meeting, while the EC accused them of “shouting”.

After the meeting, TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien told mediapersons that they handed over letters from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, and also apprised him of specific instances of poll officials having links with the BJP.

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“Then he said, ‘Get lost’. We have done eight to nine meetings with the Election Commission. Apart from the CEC, none of the other election commissioners spoke,” O’Brien said.

“While we were walking out, one of my colleagues congratulated Gyanesh Kumar for being the only CEC to have notices moved in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for his removal,” O’Brien MP said.

Meanwhile, sources in the Election Commission said the poll panel chief gave a “straight talk” to TMC leaders.
They accused O’Brien of shouting at the election commissioners and alleged that he asked the CEC not to speak.Also Read: “At Mamata’s behest”: BJP’s Nishikant Dubey links Pak Minister’s ‘Kolkata strike’ threat to TMC cover-up

The EC sources further said the elections in West Bengal would be “fear-free, violence-free, intimidation-free, and inducement-free”.