ECI bans West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee from campaigning for 24 hours

Kolkata: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has been banned from campaigning for 24 hours by the Election Commission after her statement was found to be a 'violation of the Model Code of Conduct'. TMC MP Derek O'Brien took to Twitter and expressed displeasure over the decision of the poll body. It is learnt that the West Bengal Chief Minister will hold a dharna against the Election Commission on Tuesday.

"It is self-evident from the perusal of all reports that allegations mentioned in your hand-written note are factually incorrect, without any empirical evidence whatsoever and devoid of substance," the ECI said to CM Mamata Banerjee's reply over her appeal for votes along communal lines.

"EC stands for Extremely Compromised," O'Brien said in a tweet. "April 12. BLACK DAY in our democracy," he said in another tweet. O'Brien expressed confidence that the TMC 'was winning' West Bengal polls. "Always knew we were winning Bengal," he tweeted.

According to sources, Banerjee was slated to hold four rallies on Tuesday in Nadia and North 24 Parganas both of which are slated to face the ballot in the fifth phase of Assembly elections. 

The EC action is over Banerjee's remarks, in which she had appealed the Muslim voters in the state to vote en-mass for the TMC, The BJP had filed a complaint with the poll body for Banerjee's comments, in which she had said - “I am requesting my minority brothers and sisters with folded hands don’t divide the minority votes after listening to the devil (shaitaan) person who had taken money from the BJP.”

The Election Commission has previously served two notices to the West Bengal CM in connection with the matter. In response to the EC notices, Banerjee had questioned why PM Narendra Modi was not served any notices by the poll body.