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EC mad, illiterate, says Bengal minister
Express News
Service
Kolkata,
April 17: THE Election Commission (EC)’s code of conduct
for candidates came in for some vitriolic attack from West Bengal
Minister for Transport, Sports and Youth affairs Subhas Chakrabarty
today. ‘‘The commission is mad. All illiterate people
are sitting there,’’ he said. He is contesting the Assembly
polls next month from Belgachia (East) constituency in east Kolkata.
Chakrabarty
was speaking to the The Indian Express. ‘‘They don’t
want us to write graffiti or paste posters on walls. They don’t
want us to take out processions. What power do they have to issue
such guidelines? Till last year, a candidate was allowed to spend
a maximum of Rs 1.35 lakh. It has now been raised to Rs 6 lakh.
But my constituency, the second biggest in the country, has 3.33
lakh voters. How can you manage elections there on such a meagre
amount?’’ he said.
Chakrabarty
said he would not stop people from accompanying him to the Returning
Officer’s office when he files nomination papers on April 20.
The EC has said that not more than five or six people can accompany
a candidate. ‘‘There will be over 500 people, including
my relatives and friends, who are keen to accompany me. How can
I tell them not to come? How can you fight elections without posters
and graffiti?’’ The commission has banned graffiti on
walls, particularly those of government offices.
The minister
dubbed the EC’s moves as dictatorship. ‘‘Next, they
will dictate what we eat and cook at home. It’s dictatorship.
If I had the power, I would have shown them how to behave.’’
West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer, Sabyasachi Sen, refused to
react to Chakrabarty’s remarks. ‘‘I won’t comment
on what an individual has said,’’ he said. ‘‘The
commission has sent its guidelines to all parties. Now, it’s
for them to decide if they want to obey or not.’’
Chakrabarty had earlier hit the headlines for taking potshots at
his party.
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