EC show-causes Mamata for poll code violation; 'couldn't care less', says CM

Kolkata: The Election Commission, in a first for Bengal, has sent a show-cause notice to the chief minister for violating the model code of conduct during a pre-poll rally in Asansol's Baraboni, where she announced that Asansol-Durgapur would be carved into a new administrative district after the 2016 assembly polls.
Mamata Banerjee responded characteristically, dismissing the "Poila Baishakh gift". "Bochhorer pratham din amay show-cause korechhe, unishe May manush oder show-cause kore debe. (They have sent me a show-cause notice on the first day of the new year, people will ask them to show cause on May 19)," she said, making her intent clear to fight the administrative headache politically. "Amar boye gechhe, amar gurutto bere gechhe (I couldn't care less, my stock has risen)," she added.
But the notice, combined with whatever else the EC did on Thursday, may not augur well for the Trinamool poll machinery in the remaining phases. The full bench of EC descended on the Bengal capital and, in an apparent admission of the failure of central forces to ensure a free and fair poll on the first two days of the Bengal poll season, promised to plug all the holes as the season moved to its more crucial phases.
The EC asked the state DGP to fix responsibility and initiate action on every complaint of post-poll violence and, in an apparent indictment of the state machinery, released the names and numbers of central observers, who people could call up directly without going through Bengal administration officers.
Perhaps even more important was the EC measure that directly addressed the issue of the "abnormal" hike in polling percentage between the provisional and final figures. Henceforth, presiding officers will have to send the voting percentage to returning officers at 5 p.m.; and, at 6 p.m., presiding officers will take a count of voters still in queue, get that number countersigned by all the agents of all political parties and send that number to returning officers.
EC officials also assured they would do whatever it took to inspire confidence among voters to cast their own vote. Chief election commissioner Naseen Zaidi hoped the additional influx of central forces (a total of 800 companies, or about 70,000 personnel) would help control the situation more effectively; 49 constituencies have already voted and 245 are yet to vote.
CM Mamata Banerjee was her usual belligerent self: "Shunlam amake naki show cause korechhe. Besh korechhi bolechhi, abar balbo (I heard they have show-caused me. I will do it again.)" "Ki korbe amar? Amake chomkale ami gorjabo (What will they do? I will respond to their threats)," she said. Addressing an election meeting in Birbhum, a visibly irritated Banerjee said: "We'll not spare anybody. How dare they? They cannot fight against us politically. We will spare no one after the election, we'll account for everything. They have no work other than to lodge complaints against us with EC. Lodge whatever complaint you like."
The Trinamool Congress later termed the EC show cause as "ludicrous". Party spokesperson Derek O'Brien said: "The decision to make Asansol, Kalimpong, Basirhat, Sundarbans and Jhargram separate districts was taken in a cabinet meeting in December 2015, four months ago. It was also discussed in the Assembly. This information is in the public domain and is common knowledge." But CEC Zaidi told reporters in Kolkata: "We have show-caused her. She has made some promises in Asansol like making Asansol a district.... There was something more. It is a violation of the model code of conduct. She has been show-caused for that."
Campaigning for Trinamool candidate Bidhan Upadhyay at the Hindustan Cables High School ground in Baraboni on April 6, Banerjee announced that a new district, Asansol-Durgapur, would be carved out of Burdwan immediately after the polls. Asansol would be the new district headquarters, she added, claiming that the infrastructure scale-up would lead to socio-economic changes because of fresh employment opportunities. She came to the Asansol-Durgapur belt for a three-day tour on April 6 and addressed seven rallies. On April 7 in Pandabeshwar, she mentioned the new district.
BJP's Baraboni candidate, Amal Roy, said: "Our party lodged a complaint to the EC against the chief minister for violating the election model code of conduct."
(With inputs from Someshwar Boral in Suri and Debajyoti Chakraborty in Asansol)