'EC may not hold by-polls soon to restrict Mamata from remaining CM'

MP | 5 June 21 | Kolkata: In a sensational claim, former External Affairs minister Yashwant Sinha on Saturday revealed that the Election Commission has plans to not hold any elections for the next few months just to restrict Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from entering the state Assembly. 

This gains significance as she needs to get elected within six months to continue as the Chief Minister for losing marginally from Nandigram. 

Sinha, the national vice-president of Trinamool Congress, tweeted on Saturday evening: "A little bird tells me that the Election Commission will not hold any election for the next few months so that Mamataji does not enter the assembly within 6 months." 

In a close contest, Banerjee lost to turncoat Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram Assembly constituency by only 1,736 votes.

 Adhikari has been made the Leader of Opposition by the BJP. 

With her party's overwhelming result, Banerjee is continuing as the Chief Minister for the third consecutive term. But she has to contest from an Assembly constituency to get elected as an MLA within six months as Article 164(4) of the Constitution states that "A Minister who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of the Legislature of the State shall at the expiration of that period cease to be a Minister." 

Banerjee, during her poll campaigns and even after returning to power, criticised the role of the Election Commission claiming that it was functioning as per the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home minister Amit Shah. 

Both along with other top BJP leaders frequented the state and held more than 100 rallies in just a couple of months claiming of developing "Sonar Bangla" after winning 200 seats. But BJP had to remain satisfied with only 77 seats. 

In connection with the Nandigram's election result, Trinamool Congress had stated that it would move court against the Election Commission for allegedly bungling the announcement of results of Nandigram Assembly constituency. 

Banerjee had also said: "They had announced me as the winning candidate. The Governor congratulated me and then they declared me as the losing candidate. Our party has done so well in the election, then how come this happened in Nandigram. They have done something with the EVMs." 

The party is yet to move court and at the same time not yet announced from which Assembly constituency Banerjee would be contesting. 

However, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, the state Agriculture minister, has resigned as an MLA from Bhowanipore from where Banerjee had won in 2016 and 2011 by-elections. 

http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/ec-may-not-hold-by-polls-soon-to-restrict-mamata-from-remaining-cm-442456