CEC Gyanesh Kumar; TMC MP Derek O’Brien

New Delhi: Opposition parties will bring a new proposal to impeach Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and spokesperson Derek O’Brien said on Monday.“19 political parties and around 300 MPs had earlier given impeachment notice against the CEC. In the coming days, a fresh impeachment notice will be brought with additional charges,” O’Brien told reporters at a press conference in Kolkata.Earlier this month, both Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman, Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, rejected opposition notices demanding the removal of Kumar, who has been repeatedly accused of favoring the ruling BJP.Preparations for the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal – where the TMC has been in power since 2011 and will seek power for the fourth consecutive term – have been particularly acrimonious, with tensions over issues such as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists and the removal of IAS and IPS officers in the state by the Election Commission (EC). Since the Model Code of Conduct is currently in force, the Election Commission is currently overseeing the state machinery.The previous proposal to remove Kumar was the first such move against the current CEC.Of the 294 assembly seats in West Bengal, 152 seats will go to polls on Thursday, while the remaining 142 seats will go to polls on April 29. Counting of votes is to take place on May 4.

‘BJP is planning a big conspiracy before the second phase of voting’

Meanwhile, O’Brien further alleged that the BJP, which is the ruling party at the Center and the principal opposition in the state, is hatching a “big conspiracy” ahead of the second phase.He claimed, “We have reliable information that the Home Minister has called a meeting with the heads of CBI, ED and NIA. In the next 100 to 150 hours, some serious or devious action has been planned before the second phase of elections.”The Rajya Sabha member said such incidents are likely to happen in the districts of South Bengal.O’Brien also commented that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was working like a “full-time BJP worker”. Shah, BJP’s chief strategist and former party president, had earlier said that he would spend 15 days in the state.The TMC MP also accused the BJP of deploying “disproportionate force” to defeat Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee.“To defeat a woman you need 18 cabinet ministers, the prime minister, the home minister, the defense minister, several chief ministers, central agencies and thousands of security personnel,” he said.