New Delhi, March 24 Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien alleged on Tuesday that an "unproclaimed emergency" was being imposed in West Bengal ahead of the assembly elections, and raised concerns over the actions taken by the Election Commission in the poll-bound state.
In a blog post, O'Brien referred to Article 356 of the Constitution, which allows the Centre to assume control of a state's governance, and suggested that the recent developments in Bengal resembled an indirect attempt to override the state administration.
The Trinamool leader also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recalling his earlier remarks on safeguarding democratic institutions during the Emergency in India, and termed them inconsistent with the current situation.
Citing the developments over the past week, O'Brien pointed to statements by opposition leaders, including J-K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who criticised the transfer of officials and the role of Central agencies in the poll-bound state.
Yadav termed the removal of senior police officers a "conspiracy" that would "fail before the will of the people", while Kejriwal accused the BJP of misusing institutions, including the Election Commission (EC), to influence the polls, alleging manipulation of voter lists and administrative machinery to secure electoral advantage.
Abdullah said that "sweeping transfers" ahead of polls happen only in the non-BJP-ruled states, and expressed confidence over Mamata Banerjee’s party clinching victory in the upcoming elections.
Elections to the 294 seats in West Bengal will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, and the results will be out on May 4.
O'Brien flagged the transfer of senior state officials, including the chief secretary, home secretary, and DGP, following the announcement of poll dates, alleging that they were carried out unilaterally by the poll body without consulting the state government.
"All this being done, without consulting the state government, is both unusual and unprecedented. Another example of the ECI being a law unto themselves," he alleged.
O'Brien also raised concerns over voter lists, claiming that around 60 lakh names were under "adjudication", creating uncertainty over voter eligibility and candidature close to the polls.
"At the time of writing, there is still no clarity on who is eligible to vote, and who is not," he claimed.
The Trinamool MP also cited the "unprecedented" deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) in the state, and questioned the timing of the development announcements made by the prime minister in Bengal and Assam just before the election dates were announced, in the context of the Model Code of Conduct.
“As many as 480 companies of CAPF have already been deployed in Bengal. And there are indications that the ECI will deploy another 2,000 companies. This will take the total number of CAPF personnel to over 2 lakh.
Seven hundred companies will be retained in the state, even after polling is completed. Unprecedented,” he said.
O'Brien also questioned the timing of the development announcements by Modi in Bengal and Assam on March 14, a day before the EC announced the poll schedules.
The Trinamool leader suggested that the sequence of events raised concerns over adherence to the Model Code of Conduct, calling it a "coincidence" that warranted scrutiny.
The 136-member Assam Assembly will go to polls on April 9, and the results will be announced on May 4.