EC shifts Nandigram observer before poll, Mamata alleges bias

Nandigram/Kolkata: Just 48 hours before polling in the high-stakes Nandigram assembly constituency on April 23, the EC replaced police observer Hitesh Choudhary, an IPS officer from Madhya Pradesh, with Akhilesh Singh of the Assam cadre.

In its order directing Choudhary to leave East Midnapore and report to the CEO office in Kolkata, the EC did not cite any reason. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, however, alleged that the observer was moved out for working "impartially" and accused central agencies of harassment in Nandigram.



"People of Nandigram did not vote for you last time either; even now the case is pending in court. I could have rubbed your face in shame, but to be elected from Bhowanipore, I did not apply pressure. In Nandigram, notices have been sent to 40 people by the NIA—why? Today you say 1,000 Trinamool netas should be arrested—first arrest BJP who have looted, who have killed, who have murdered their own security. They have even brought in the military. I have never seen police working in favour of BJP like this—they are working one-sidedly. They have changed all our officers and brought in their own people," CM said at a rally in Haldia.

Trinamool lodged a formal complaint with the EC, alleging that the OC of Nandigram police station and other personnel were ignoring complaints from its members while acting swiftly on those filed by BJP. The party cited nine instances where allegations, including criminal intimidation, assault and attempted murder, were either not acted upon or diluted.

The complaint also referred to five FIRs filed by BJP netas that allegedly led to prompt police action against Trinamool workers, who the party said were being "hounded" and their campaign disrupted.

The move followed the arrest of Sheikh Habibullah Rahman, Trinamool chief of Mohammadpur gram panchayat, on charges of distributing cash to voters. Rahman, son-in-law of Sk Sufian, was reportedly caught by BJP workers. A viral video shows him saying, "Where is the money? I have come for election campaigning." While Trinamool termed the arrest politically motivated, police said it was based on a complaint. He was to appear before the Haldia sub-divisional court on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, district magistrate Niranjan Kumar imposed prohibitory orders across East Midnapore ahead of polling, banning political meetings, sealing borders with Odisha and declaring a 100-metre radius around polling stations as a sanitised zone.
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