EC rules annoy CPIM leaders

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March. 12. — The CPI-M leaders have expressed their unhappiness over the present guidelines issued by the Election Commission and have also rebuked the officials executing the EC orders. Criticising the decision of the EC to ban poll graffiti, symbols, banners or any other such means of publicity adopted for campaigns, the minister for food processing and horticulture, Mr Sailen Sarkar, said: “The EC can erase names from the walls, but cannot erase names from the hearts of the people.” He announced this while addressing an election rally organised by the LF supporters and students’ organisations. Mr Manoj Singh, the EC observer for Malda, had instructed the district magistrate to monitor the collection of subscriptions from the state and the Central government employees that would go into the party fund to bear the election expenses. Reportedly, the district magistrate had sent a letter to the state EC asking about the procedure of its execution. But, the district administration has not yet received any satisfactory reply from the EC. “No reply has reached us yet,” said a top district official. On the other hand, the CPI-M leaders have criticised the block development officers for mentioning the name of a CPI-M worker, who had lodged a complaint with the BDO of Kaliachak II, against 64 voters. The CPI-M lodged a counter-complaint with the state Election Commission yesterday against the BDO of Kaliachak II. Reportedly, the BDO had issued a notice to all 64 voters, mentioning the name of the CPI-M leader, Mr A Choudhury, who had lodged the complaint. It may be recalled that after severe erosion on the left bank of the Ganges, nearly 2,100 voters’ names in the polling station No. 78, 79 and 80 was deleted from the electoral rolls. When the matter was brought to the notice of the election observer, it was decided that a special camp would be set up to include all the names in a particular part. Of them, 64 voters had been able to include their names in other places. The local CPI-M leader had lodged complaint with the BDO against 64 voters. However, after publicising the name of the complainant, it is feared that the news might give way to a “riot” in the belt. It is feared that the voters who had managed to include their names in other places may attack the CPI-M leader. The BDO has sought clarification from the 64 voters on the basis of the CPI-M leader’s complaint, in the process declaring his name, before the finalisation of a supplementary electoral roll.