ECI rubbishes Mamata Banerjee’s claims of counting misappropriation in Bhabanipur

Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday evening rubbished the allegations raised earlier in the day by outgoing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that her defeat from Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in South by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was result of counting misappropriation within the Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls College in South Kolkata, where the counting for Bhabanipur was being conducted don Monday.

Just a couple of hours after Mamata Banerjee raised these allegations at a press conference on Tuesday, the office of the district electoral officer of Kolkata (Dakshin), under which the Bhabanipur assembly constituency comes, issued a statement rubbishing the claims made by her.

As per the statement, the allegations brought forward by the Trinamool Congress candidate from Bhabanipur Assembly constituency during a press conference on Tuesday were all baseless and fabricated.

“The counting process was done in a free, fair and transparent manner observing all due processes prescribed by the Election Commission of India and mandated Acts, Rules and Regulations,” the statement read.

In the statement, the DEO’s office also rubbished the claims by Mamata Banerjee that the CCTVs installed at the counting centre and counting rooms were switched off while the counting process was on.

“The CCTV was never switched off, and any incident of alleged jostling with the candidate of AITC and Hon’ble CM is baseless and a figment of imagination,” the statement read, refuting the claims of the outgoing Chief Minister that she was kicked within the counting centre.

In the statement, the DEO’s office also claimed that the counting process was halted for some period of time on Monday evening since Mamata Banerjee insisted on stopping it.

However, the statement added, the counting process started later with an intimation to her under the guidelines.

Mamata Banerjee was defeated this time from Bhabanipur by the outgoing Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, by a margin of over 15,000 votes.

Adhikari was also elected this time from his native Nandigram Assembly constituency in East Midnapore district.

IANS