“The Balurghat Municipality elections were held way back in the 2013. Nine years after the said election and just before the Balurghat civic body election this year, the Election Commission has remembered that the Bharatiya Janata Party candidates had not submitted their income and expenditure accounts to the Election Commission. The Election Commission was perhaps sleeping for nine years,”
(Photo: IANS)
The election commission office in South Dinajpur district has issued show-cause letters to 23 candidates of different political parties who had contested the municipality elections in 2013, seeking their income and expenditure details. BJP leaders in Balurghat were quick to slam the Trinamool Congress and said that the notices were “misuse of power” and that the TMC government had used the Election Commission for “vengeance politics” ahead of the municipal elections.
The BJP filed a countercomplaint with the sub-divisional officer and demanded that the Election Commission also release the income and expenditure details of Trinamool Congress candidates within 24 hours. Among the 23 candidates who have been served the show-cause letter, 18 belong to the BJP. On the other hand, Trinamool Congress leaders in the district said they do not want to look at the matter in political light.
“The Election Commission is an independent organisation, not a political party. It is part of their duty. We have no answer to why the commission has taken such a decision after nine long years since the municipality elections,” a TMC leader said.
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According to the Balurghat town president of the TMC, Biman Das, it is the duty of the election candidate to furnish details of his income and expenditure to the Election Commission. “If anyone does not do so, it goes against the law, and the reasons should be reported to the Election Commission,” Mr Das said.
BJP’s Balurghat town president Sumon Barman said that the Trinamool Congress had always tried to win elections by using the Election Commission. “The Balurghat Municipality elections were held way back in the 2013. Nine years after the said election and just before the Balurghat civic body election this year, the Election Commission has remembered that the Bharatiya Janata Party candidates had not submitted their income and expenditure accounts to the Election Commission. The Election Commission was perhaps sleeping for nine years,” Mr Barman said.
“Corrupt Trinamool candidates are earning money from the municipality through corruption and they should submit their income and expenditure accounts properly,” he added. “The people of Balurghat will reject the Trinamool Congress in the upcoming Balurghat municipal elections, just as the people of Balurghat rejected the Trinamool Congress in the last Lok Sabha and Assembly elections,” Mr Barman said.
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