2 months ago
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The TMC connected Friday (April 3, 2026) sought the contiguous removal of the Returning Officer for the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency successful West Bengal, alleging his proximity with BJP campaigner Suvendu Adhikari.
In a practice submitted to West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal, the ruling enactment raised objections to the assignment of RO for the Bhabanipur spot successful confederate Kolkata.
The enactment alleged that the returning serviceman has a “documented and adjacent association” with elder BJP person Suvendu Adhikari, who is contesting from Bhabanipur against Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.
Mr. Adhikari is besides successful the electoral fray from Nandigram successful Purba Medinipur district.
According to the complaint, the RO had earlier served arsenic artifact improvement serviceman successful Nandigram-II, wherever his proximity to Mr. Adhikari was allegedly disposable successful nationalist engagements.
The TMC claimed that specified an relation creates a “reasonable apprehension of bias” and "compromises the neutrality" required for conducting elections.
The enactment besides questioned the RO's existent posting arsenic further manager of onshore records, stating that the presumption is typically held by much elder officers.
The TMC alleged that his assignment to the role, peculiarly up of elections, raises concerns of “preferential and motivated deployment”.
Emphasising the captious relation of a returning officer, the TMC said the authoritative is liable for cardinal electoral processes, including information scrutiny, behaviour of polling and declaration of results, and truthful indispensable beryllium “unimpeachably neutral”.
Citing Article 324 of the Constitution and provisions of the Representation of the People Act, the Trinamool Congress argued that the Election Commission is duty-bound to guarantee escaped and just polls by appointing officers without immoderate perceived bias.
The enactment besides referred to the Model Code of Conduct, which mandates administrative neutrality, and alleged that the RO's continuation violates these principles.
The TMC practice noted that the Election Commission had earlier sought a sheet of 3 alternate officers from the State government, pursuing a ailment lodged connected March 24.
While the State complied, nary determination has yet been taken to regenerate the RO, the letter, signed by elder TMC leaders Shashi Panja, Aroop Biswas, Baiswanor Chattopadhyay, claimed.
Calling the concern “Constitutionally untenable” and “electorally dangerous”, the Trinamool Congress urged the Election Commission to instrumentality “immediate, reasoned and transparent enactment to guarantee the integrity of the electoral process”.
