Modi trying to run parallel govt in W Bengal: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday criticised special observers appointed by the Election Commission and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to run a parallel government in the state by sending in “officers from Delhi”.
The Trinamool Congress supremo also hit out at Special Poll Observer Ajay Nayak for his comment comparing the political situation in West Bengal with that of Bihar 10 years ago, and alleged that “retired officers” like him were abusing and insulting the people of the state.
“There is an elected government in the state. But they are trying to run a parallel government here by sending people from Delhi. It is unconstitutional. They are changing officers every day, saying whatever they wish in the name of Bengal and trying to help the BJP in every way possible,” Banerjee said at an election rally in Gayeshpur in Nadia district.
“They are abusing Bengal. They are comparing Bengal with Bihar. The retired officers are making political statements. I respect the retired officers. But they are trying to control duty officers here. Bengal will not tolerate any kind of abuse,” she said.
Meanwhile, angry Trinamool Congress leaders have demanded Nayak’s recall.
Trinamool general secretary Subrata Bakshi has sent a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora demanding Nayak’s immediate removal to ensure free and fair elections in the state in the remaining phases.
However, all major state opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Left and Congress described his observation as “correct” and said it was “unfortunate and shameful for est Bengal” that an Election Commission-appointed observer had to make such remarks.
State Congress vice president Om Prakash Misra accused the Trinamool of reducing the election process in the state to a “farce”.
“It is unfortunate that the EC observer had to make such an observation but in the context of law and order, especially with regards to the conduct of elections, it is very much correct. Bengal has long witnessed violence during elections but everything has been put to shame under the current regime,” Misra told IANS.
When asked whether his party agreed to Trinamool’s allegation that Nayak was not conducting the election impartially, he said: “We also have many questions about EC’s conducts. It is true that BJP is trying to use its power at the Centre. But I do not agree with Trinamool’s claims. They have reduced the election to a joke here.”
Left Front legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty echoed Misra.
According to the CPM’s Chakraborty, Nayak was “ 100% correct”. However, it was “shameful” that Bengal has been reduced to such depths by Banerjee and her party, he said.
“We used to refer to Bihar and UP (Uttar Pradesh) to describe misrule once. Unfortunately Bengal has now taken that place. Irrespective of Nayaka’s statement, the condition is such that poll workers are agitating everywhere to press their demand for deployment of central forces. This means people have lost faith in the state administration,” Chakraborty told IANS.
“Everyone has seen that, in the first two phases, there was no problem in the booths where central forces had been deployed. But the bloody memory of the last Panchayat elections came back to haunt the voters in booths being guarded by state police,” he said.