Transfers won't change anything: Didi takes on EC

KOLKATA: CM Mamata Banerjee responded to the EC show-cause notice on Friday, ahead of the Saturday 3pm deadline, but the real response has started coming on the ground. Trinamool Congress supporters, visibly emboldened, attacked opposition workers and publicly ridiculed the EC - and Chief Election Commissioner.
It was chief secretary Basudeb Banerjee who wrote to EC principal secretary R K Srivastava in Delhi that when the CM referred to 'Asansol-Durgapur district', she was merely reiterating a decision taken by the state cabinet and discussed thread-bare in the assembly.This, therefore, cannot be construed to be a violation of the mode code of conduct, Banerjee's reply said, stressing that Mamata's conversation with the Union coal minister on legalising illegal collieries and generate employment was also in public domain and "hence can't be deemed as a (new) promise".
The chief minister's relentless tirade against the EC continues. In back-to-back meetings in Nadia on Friday, she said regardless of how many officers the EC transfers, "nothing will change". "The person who is being transferred is from our family. And the person being brought in is also family. You go on changing people, nothing will happen," Mamata said, mocking the opposition as "complaint syndicate."
The EC is keeping a close watch on her statements. Joint chief electoral officer Dibyendu Sarkar said, "The speeches made after the EC's show cause to the CM have been video recorded and sent to Delhi for verification."
Mamata's party colleague, Bidhannagar mayor Sabyasachi Dutta went a step further and said, "I think CRPF and SSB are not enough. I think they should contact Obama and bring in US troops. You make Zaidi (chief election commissioner) a candidate against us. Nasim Zaidi, baki sab kaidi!"