Kolkata: Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday accused the Election Commission of "functioning as an arm of BJP" and said the fight against the poll body would continue "inside court, outside court, inside Parliament and outside Parliament".
Speaking to reporters at Kolkata airport before leaving for Delhi, Banerjee vowed to challenge the EC, asserting that the fight against "erosion of constitutional rights" would continue on all fronts.
The remarks came a day after the EC held a press conference that, according to opposition parties, failed to address their concerns regarding alleged discrepancies in electoral rolls. Banerjee said the EC itself acknowledged the presence of deceased voters in the rolls.
"If the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were conducted on the basis of this flawed list, then the current govt has no moral authority to stay in office," he said. Banerjee argued that if an SIR (special intensive revision) is deemed necessary to rectify the lists, it must be carried out nationwide, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
Banerjee also slammed the directive — a requirement for affidavits to reinstate names deleted from the voter list — questioning why citizens should be forced to prove their legitimacy as voters when the responsibility for errors lay with the commission.
"If even one wrongly deleted name is proved, will the chief election commissioner resign?" he asked, citing the removal of 65 lakh names in Bihar. The MP also questioned why BJP netas were stepping in to defend the poll panel. "When we raise questions against ED, CBI or the Election Commission, why does BJP respond on their behalf?" he asked.
Banerjee alleged that the central govt and its agencies were working in tandem to suppress opposition voices. "Every document submitted to central agencies reaches BJP," he claimed, citing his own case where sensitive information provided to Enforcement Directorate allegedly ended up with BJP's Suvendu Adhikari.
He warned that TMC would not submit its booth level agent (BLA) details to EC until just a week before polling, fearing misuse of the information. Banerjee also hinted at the possibility of bringing an impeachment motion against the Election Commission. While acknowledging that the current Parliament session may not allow time for the process, he said such a move would be pursued in the next session if necessary.
Speaking on the upcoming vice-president elections, Banerjee said TMC and INDIA bloc members were scheduled to meet to discuss their candidate. The details would be announced once consensus was reached, Banerjee added.