Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has been banned by the Election Commission of India from campaigning in the state for 24 hours for “violating” election rules.
She has been accused of violating the EC’s model code of conduct with her remarks on Muslim votes and her comments allegedly telling people to protest against Central forces who are in the state for the ongoing Assembly polls.
The order banning her from campaigning for 24 hours has come on the last day when outgoing Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora is in charge of the poll body. Sushil Chandra is to take over as CEC from tomorrow.
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Banerjee was served two notices last week. Last week the EC had asked her to explain her comments at a campaign rally asking people to “gherao” Central paramilitary forces. The EC referred to her speeches on March 28 and April 7, in which Banerjee allegedly accused Central forces of intimidating voters and urged women to “gherao” central forces.
Earlier, the EC had asked the Trinamool chief to explain her comments on what the poll body deemed as “openly demanding votes on communal grounds” while campaigning in Hooghly district on April 3.
