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ECI rejects AITCs allegations on SIR as baseless, urges party to avoid misinformation

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday said that during its meeting with an All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) delegation, the full panel gave a point-wise rebuttal to all apprehensions and termed each baseless allegation made by the party as unfounded. A senior ECI official, while speaking to TNIE , said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners S S Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, also requested the AITC delegation to give claims and objections after December 9, when the draft list is shared with them. Till then, they should not interfere with the independent functioning of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and District Election Officers (DEOs), who are State government employees on deputation to election-related work, the official said. The Commission also told the AITC delegation not to influence or fallethreaten BLOs regarding dead, shifted and duplicate voters, he said. The delegation was informed that only Indian citizens are entitled to vote as per Article 326 of the Constitution of India and that foreigners cannot be allowed to vote. According to the official, the Commission clearly asserted during the meeting that the preparation of electoral rolls, as well as the conduct of elections in India, are carried out strictly as per the Constitution and electoral law, and that the AITC should abide by the same. As the AITC is the ruling party in West Bengal, the official said the delegation was told that it was very strange that the enhanced honorarium approved by ECI has not yet been disbursed by the State government and this should be done without any further delay. While noting that political rhetoric was the partys prerogative, the ECI urged the delegation that its leaders should refrain from spreading misinformation relating to election procedures, the official said. Meanwhile, the ECI has written to the West Bengal Director General of Police and the Kolkata Police Commissioner to ensure that BLOs are not pressurised or threatened by political party workers. The official added that even though the AITC opposed the move, the ECI has directed all DEOs to ensure new polling stations in slums, high-rise buildings and gated residential colonies as is being done across India based on the instructions. Based on recent incidents relating to the breach of security at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, the ECI has issued directions to shift the office to a security-appropriate location and directed the Kolkata Police Commissioner to ensure complete security of the existing as well as the new office of the CEO, the official said.