EC gives clean chit to Mamata

SNS,19 May, 2016, Kolkata: The Election Commission of India has expressed its satisfaction over the reply given by the Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to the show-cause notice that was issued by the Commission on April 14. 

She was virtually given a clean-chit by the ECI. A chief minister having been show caused by the ECI is an unprecedented incident in the country. 

Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi during his visit to the city on 14 April to review the poll process said the show cause notice was issued following complaints that Banerjee had promised to create Asansol and Sunderbans districts as part of her poll campaigns. 

The Opposition had cited these as violation of the model code of conduct (MCC). Zaidi had mentioned that she also made some other remarks which violated the model code of conduct. 

Meanwhile, Commission sources said the reply given by Banerjee is “satisfactory”and so there is no need for further action.However,the show cause notice failed to deter Banerjee who on the same day during a rally said that, “ I heard that Election Commission has show caused me. What I have said I will say it again,I will say it a thousand times.” 

It may be recalled that the ECI had sent the notice to Nabanna, the state secretariat. A reply to the show cause notice was sent by the chief secretary on behalf of the chief minister. However, this also created a ruckus,where political parties slammed the chief secretary for acting on behalf of the ruling party chief. Even the ECI had sent a letter to the chief secretary expressing its displeasure and also rejecting the reply. 

Later, the same letter was redirected to Banerjee's residence in Kalighat and to Trinamul Bhavan. There has been a hue and cry after the Trinamul Congress chief attacked the Election Commission, a section of police, even challenging the deployment of Central forces, stating that law and order will again become a state subject after the elections are over.