Written by Avantika Basu
The BJP on Tuesday lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra was engaged in “grave, open and direct intimidation” of a police observer during the ongoing elections in West Bengal.
In its letter to the chief electoral officer of West Bengal, the BJP requested immediate intervention under Article 324 of the Constitution, claiming that the purported actions threatened the integrity of the electoral process.
The BJP claimed that Moitra addressed Battula Gangadhar, a 2011 batch IPS officer of the Odisha cadre, who is presently serving as a police observer, in a video message that is currently in the public domain.
Referring to “publicly available material,” including a post on Moitra’s X account and Facebook on April 27 and 28, BJP claimed that her statements amounted to “open threats” and were “highly objectionable” in the context of an ongoing election.
The video’s contents, it claimed, showed “a pattern of intimidation” aimed at the IPS officer. The BJP also accused Moitra of acting in a way that was “overtly threatening, abusive, and unlawful”. It further stated that the alleged conduct relates to constituencies where Gangadhar has been deployed as an observer. These include Assembly Constituencies 82-Chapra, 83-Krishnanagar Uttar, 84-Nabadwip, 85-Krishnanagar Dakshin, and 88-Krishnaganj (SC).
The BJP said that the remarks were “not isolated or inadvertent” but rather were a “deliberate attempt” to obstruct poll officials’ work, threaten law enforcement officers, and undermine the ECI’s authority.
Earlier, the TMC had criticised Ajay Pal Sharma, an Uttar Pradesh IPS officer posted as a police observer for the Bengal polls, alleging that “a corrupt and criminal track record has now become the primary qualification for the [observer] job”.
The complaint emphasised the gravity of the situation by claiming that such behaviour goes against the “very root of the constitutional framework governing free and fair elections”. It contended that the state machinery is intimidated and its independence is undermined when police officers who work under the supervision, direction, and control of the ECI are subjected to threats, abusive language, and coercive tactics.
The party further said that these acts constitute a “deliberate and calculated attempt” to undermine law enforcement’s impartiality, instil fear in officials, and impede the execution of electoral protections. It cautioned that if unchecked, such behaviour would promote disobedience to legal instructions and undermine public trust in the legitimacy and fairness of the voting process.
The BJP also described any attempt to influence or force police officers in the performance of election-related responsibilities as a “grave violation of electoral norms” in the complaint, calling for the ECI to take prompt, severe action to protect the rule of law.
The party described the broader consequences of the alleged behaviour, stating that such acts have the potential to erode trust in the impartial operation of law enforcement and civil servants, promote disobedience to legal directives from the ECI, and foster a climate of fear and intimidation that may discourage officials from carrying out their responsibilities in a free, fair, and impartial manner.
It said that by compromising the impartiality of the governing body and upsetting the level of fairness necessary for democratic elections, such behaviour could have a negative impact on the state’s overall electoral integrity.
The BJP requested urgent directives from the ECI in its final submissions, including the filing of a formal complaint against Moitra in accordance with applicable legal provisions, the prompt removal of the contested video and related content from her social media accounts and other platforms, and any additional orders deemed necessary to guarantee the holding of free and fair elections and adherence to the Model Code of Conduct.
The complaint emphasised that the ECI must take “swift, impartial, and decisive action” to safeguard an individual’s democratic rights and uphold the integrity of the electoral process, with the results scheduled to be declared on May 4.
Avantika Basu is an intern with The Indian Express.