"One Rule For Bihar And Another For Bengal": TMC Alleges Step-Motherly Treatment To Bengal after meeting ECI

West Bengal News: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday directed the West Bengal state government to immediately release the enhanced honorarium approved by the ECI to each Booth Level Officer (BLO).

In a statement, as reported by ANI, the ECI informed a Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation that polling stations will be set up in high-rise buildings, gated communities, and slums to facilitate voters.

The ECI also directed the TMC to ensure that its ground-level political representatives are not involved in threatening any staff on election duty. It warned that strict action would be taken against any miscreants who attempt to take the law into their own hands.

“Intimidation of any electoral staff, including BLOs, EROs, AEROs, Observers, etc., by political representatives or their workers will not be tolerated,” the ECI added in the statement.

Meanwhile, TMC National General Secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee, after meeting the Chief Election Commissioner of India earlier today, while speaking to the media, alleged that West Bengal is being given step-motherly treatment.

"There is the step-motherly treatment towards Bengal, from deploying micro-observers to malign Bengal’s credibility and harass the people of Bengal, just as in the case of migrant workers. In Bihar, no migrant labourers were physically summoned for hearings. A notice was issued, but based on that notice, if any family member—mother, wife, or father—submitted the documents to the BLO, the migrant worker was never called for a hearing. Why is there one rule for Bihar and another for Bengal?,” Abhishek Banerjee questioned.

Abhishek Banerjee told the media that during the meeting, he and his team raised several questions and claimed that the ECI “could not give credible replies to most of them, except on the issue of persons with disabilities and people above 60.”

“I also raised the issue of decentralising hearing venues, which they agreed to, stating that DMs and DEOs have the discretion to increase the number of venues,” he said, while adding that the agreement was not given in writing.

Abhishek Banerjee stated that if the number of hearing venues is increased, the public would not face difficulties.

Continuing, he said, “Then they asked why we want our BLA2 representatives to be present at the hearing venues. I countered by stating that if polling agents are allowed during elections, and if BLAs can accompany BLOs during the distribution of enumeration forms, then why can they not be present at the hearing venues? When he denied this, I urged him to issue a circular on the matter, which he also refused. I then said that if no circular is issued, our BLA2 representatives will be present at the hearing venues. He cannot issue such a circular because he knows it would be challenged in a court of law. An oral statement has no value..."

"I want to reiterate that these are the same mistakes that the Congress committed in the past, which AAP also failed to point out, and even RJD in Bihar failed to raise, leading to BJP winning with over an 88 percent strike rate,” he claimed.
“BJP won Maharashtra, Delhi, and Bihar with an 88 percent strike rate. Is this some coincidence? This is vote theft. Vote theft does not happen through EVMs. No other political party was able to point this out in other states,” he added.
He slammed the government and the ECI for allegedly using WhatsApp instead of proper circulars and notifications to issue instructions.

“Instructions are being given on WhatsApp. Governments function through circulars and notifications, not through WhatsApp directives. Does the Union government and the ECI want to run the country through WhatsApp without issuing any circulars or notifications? What is stopping them from issuing circulars? Why can’t BLA2 representatives be part of the hearing process? What is the ECI trying to hide? Why is the ECI not making the discrepancy list public? How can you clean a list by hiding details?..." the TMC leader questioned.

He claimed that the ECI began losing its temper during the meeting.

"They think that by raising their voice and speaking aggressively, everyone will be silenced. When we started speaking, he began losing his temper. He tried to stop some of us and pointed fingers at me. I then stated that you are a nominated official, but I am an elected representative. You are answerable to your masters, but I am answerable to the masses who elected me, for whom we have come here to ensure that no legitimate voter is deleted from the list,” he said.

He also challenged the ECI, saying, “I am standing very close to the ECI office. Gyanesh Kumar must be hearing what I am saying to the media right now. If he has the courage, he should come down, face the media, and rebut every point I am making, rather than making selective leaks after 8 pm. What is stopping him? Does he think the people of Bengal are his subservient? Apart from 2-3 questions, he has failed. Does he think the people of Bengal, and we MPs, ministers, and MLAs elected by the people, are bonded labourers or slaves?..."

He asserted that even if the BJP put their “entire mind” and allegedly use agencies, the people of West Bengal would defeat the BJP.

“They have fallen flat on their faces in 2012, 2021, 2024, and it will happen again in 2026. We will bow before the power of the people, not the people in power..." he added.

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