Opposition backs TMC move to impeach CEC, but many MPs call it poll optics

New Delhi: As the Trinamool Congress MPs continued to gather signatures from the Opposition MPs on Thursday to submit their planned impeachment motion notice against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, perhaps by Friday itself, some in the Opposition circles have also indicated that the move is more designed as pre-West Bengal poll optics rather than of any immediate consequence in the ongoing budget session in Parliament.

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While the sponsors of the motion plan to submit it to the offices of the presiding officers of both the Houses soon, some in the Opposition said the entire proceedings, including scrutiny of the notice for the motion, constitution of a committee for that purpose, and forwarding it to House for debate, if found admissible, will take at least a couple of months, if not more. Whether the political pursuit of the issue will retain steam after the West Bengal elections is also a matter of debate and speculation among many MPs.

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By Thursday evening, over 130 signatures from the Opposition INDIA bloc of the Lok Sabha and over 50 from the Rajya Sabha had been collected. MPs of “neutral” regional parties like the BJD, YSRCP and BRS may not be part of the move while TMC appeared not keen on approaching AIMIM, which is planning to contest the West Bengal poll, to be part of the venture.