New Delhi, 08 April (H.S.): A Trinamool Congress delegation met the Election Commission of India on Wednesday morning ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections to discuss the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and other issues. The four-member team—Derek O'Brien, Menaka Guruswamy, Saket Gokhale, and Sagarika Ghose—raised concerns over electoral fairness, but the brief meeting turned acrimonious.
Sources indicated Derek O'Brien shouted at the commissioners, interrupting them and demanding silence. The Chief Election Commissioner urged restraint, noting that shouting and improper conduct undermined the room's decorum.
In an X post titled Election Commission's Straight Talk to TMC, the EC affirmed West Bengal polls would be fear-free, violence-free, inducement-free, and free from booth or source jamming, ensuring full transparency with zero tolerance for irregularities.
Post-meeting, O'Brien alleged the CEC dismissed them after seven minutes with get lost, decrying the treatment of the second-largest opposition party in Parliament. Party deputy leader Sagarika Ghose dismissed the EC's post as false, claiming the CEC only asked for their authorised signatory and uttered the shameful words get lost.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
