Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee on Saturday said only the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) could remove Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while acknowledging the limitations faced by political parties, including his own, in taking action against the poll panel chief.
“If CJP gives a real challenge, they can remove Kumar; no other political party can,” Banerjee told a vernacular news channel.
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He was responding to questions on the Opposition’s efforts to protest against the CEC, saying the CJP’s focused approach could help it achieve results more quickly.
“If CJP does it, there will be quick disposal. They stick with one issue and do it with all their heart and soul,” he said.
Banerjee also criticised political parties over defections in West Bengal and questioned how many politicians remained committed to their causes.
“How many people do we have who work with heart and soul? You saw how many politicians were sold out in the state after the assembly elections,” Banerjee said.
He also pointed to the impact of sustained civil society movements, saying, “The movement they are carrying out brings quick relief; the exit of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is proof of that.”
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke had on Thursday demanded Kumar’s resignation and threatened to launch a “Jantar Mantar 2.0” agitation if his demand was not met.
Banerjee’s remarks came days after The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders of the Election Commission. The objections reportedly covered issues including the addition, deletion and restoration of voters, as well as changes to the voter registration process.
Following the report, poll panel officials said the two commissioners had raised concerns over decisions related to electoral roll clean-up and voter database management in several states.
EC sources, however, maintained that all decisions taken by the Commission, including those concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), had been unanimous and approved by both election commissioners and the CEC.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
