TMC flags ‘tainted’ record of ECI observers sent to Bengal
The Statesman | 28 March 2026
Trinamul Congress protested against the deployment of tainted officials by the Election Commission of India in different constituencies as observers to help the BJP in the forthcoming Assembly election, leading to the murder of democracy.
The ECI had earlier said that officials will be deployed to conduct free and fair elections but the past record of the officials revealed that they have been saved by the BJP leaders and in return they have been posted to oblige the saffron party, the leaders said.
Addressing the Media, minister Bratya Basu and MP Shaoni Ghosh said these officials have a slippery track record and have been deployed with the wrong intentions.
Mr Basu alleged Dheeraj Kumar has been appointed as the general observer in Gazole constituency, who is accused in the massive Rs 8,000 crore ambulance scam while serving as the Maharashtra Health Commissioner. Ajay Katesaria, general observer for Bongaon Dakshin Assembly seat is accused of illegally transferring over 40 acres of government land to a private player while serving as the Collector of Satna. He was found guilty by an inquiry committee when Shivraj Singh Chauhan was the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.
Mr Singh was appointed as the central minister and his successor set up a committee which gave him a clean chit. “It is really astonishing that he was found guilty by one BJP government and subsequently given a clean chit by another BJP government of the same state,” said Mr Basu.
Gandam Chandrudu, general observer for Ballygunge Assembly seat had faced a dowry harassment case when he was the Tribal Welfare Director in Andhra Pradesh.
Mr Arindam Dakua, general observer for Madhyamgram seat had served as the private secretary to the Chief Minister of Odisha Mohan Charan Majhi.
Shaoani Ghosh said: “The entire country is passing through a dark phase. The BJP loyalists have been appointed as general observers in different constituencies. The ECI is absolutely shameless and has connived with the Prime Minister and Home Minister to defeat Mamata Banerjee.” She said in a booth in Basirhat 340 people all belonging to the minority community were first placed under logical discrepancy and during adjudication their names have been deleted. “The ECI is singling out the Muslims and women to help the BJP,” she alleged.
She added that the way the BJP is changing the bureaucracy in Bengal, they can very well declare “one nation, one party, one food, one dress”. “The ECI is working as the B team of the BJP. People and history will not forget the mass disenfranchisement being carried out by the BJP and the ECI.
Mr Basu added that the BJP is throttling the tools of democracy just to win the diamond (Bengal) of the jewelled crown and is losing sleep over it.