Poll campaign in Bengal cut short as EC cracks whip following violence
New Delhi, May 15 (UNI/IBNS): Election Commission of India on Wednesday cut short the campaign in West Bengal by almost a day from 10 pm on Thursday for the Lok Sabha elections in the state for the seventh and final phase of the polls on May 19. The move followed unprecedented violence in a roadshow of BJP national president Amit Shah a day ago.
It also relieved ADG CID Rajiv Kumar and principal home secretary of their duties.
The ECI invoked Article 324 of the Constitution for its step. Reports said that for the first time, the election body used Article 324 of the Constitution, which gives it the powers of "superintendence, direction and control of elections".
The poll panel's directive comes a day after violence broke out between the Bharatiya Janata Party and Trinamool Congress supporters in north Kolkata during a roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah.
Incidentally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to speak at an election rally in north Kolkata's Dumdum. The programme is supposed to end around 8pm on Thursday, reports said.
Soon after the news broke, Union Finance Minister and BJP leader Arun Jaitley tweeted: "A constitutional authority, the Election Commission of India, has effectively held Bengal to be a state in Anarchy. Repeatedly escalating violence, state supported Vandals, a partisan police and home department are the illustrations the ECI has given."
A constitutional authority, the Election Commission of India, has effectively held Bengal to be a state in Anarchy. Repeatedly escalating violence, state supported Vandals, a partisan police and home department are the illustrations the ECI has given.
— Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 15, 2019
A free campaign is not possible and therefore the campaign has to be cut short. This is a classical case of breakdown of the Constitutional Machinery.
— Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 15, 2019
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