Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said at a public meeting that the candidature of Narendra Modi should be cancelled by the Election Commission for his “horsetrading” comment.
PM Modi had on Monday said in West Bengal’s Serampore at an election campaign, that 40 Trinamool Congress lawmakers were in touch with him and would switch over to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after election results were out on May 23.
During the day, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien, in a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) wrote that the Prime Minister in his comment, had hinted “that the members of the AITC will cross over to the Bharatiya Janata Party and [was] using this lie to influence the voters”. He said that the party was “shocked and surprised” to hear the PM say such things at an election campaign.
Derek O’Brien added that “This is very unbecoming of the Prime Minister. He is trying to influence the voters to vote for BJP creating a mala fide impression in their minds that many MLAs of AITC are in touch with him and will cross over to his party which will have a bearing on the fate of the present government in West Bengal.”
The Trinamool MP added that the tone of speech is very likely to “create an indication of impending horse-trading related to election”.
He demanded that the ECI “take cognizance of this unfounded, inappropriate and illegal campaign” and “take strong action against him as per rules”.
Derek O’Brien also mentioned in the letter that the BJP leaders “have shown no regard or respect for the Model Code of Conduct or the guidelines issued by the Election Commission.”
“The Election Commission is a constitutional body which is duty bound to ensure a free and fair election,” he wrote, adding that the ECI was thus being “requested to ask Mr. Narendra Modi, the Hon’ble Prime Minister for evidence in support of his statement, failing which his nomination should be cancelled for violation of the Model Code of Conduct by making such provocative and undemocratic statements”.
