CM ‘annoyed’ at handling of case

statesman news service
KOLKATA, 30 JUNE: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is reportedly annoyed with the way party MP and advocate Kalyan Banerjee handled the rural poll case in the Supreme Court, especially the question of holding the five-phase poll after the Ramzan month sets in.
When the matter was being heard in Calcutta High Court, the government&’s objections to holding the poll after 10 July were “articulated well” and the court had accommodated the government&’s view, top sources in the Trinamul Congress said.
The chief minister is believed to have told her close confidants that the MP, being a top Trinamul leader, was certainly in the know of the party&’s stand not to hold the rural poll, under any circumstances, during Ramzan. Yet, the apex court couldn’t be convinced of the need for either completing the rural poll before July 10 or holding it after Ramzan is over, the CM is learnt to have said.
As a result, the ruling party is not only facing acute embarrassment, but has also to answer to the minority population why it couldn’t project their “difficulties” in participating in the poll process during the holy month. The CM was so upset, apparently, that it was left to the MP to meet the media and explain why the rural poll as rescheduled by the apex court clashes with Ramzan. Only urban development minister Firhad Hakim was with him at the briefing yesterday.
In fact, Miss Banerjee, has been keeping mum since the apex court announced its verdict on 28 June, even though it was decided today that the state government would approach the Supreme Court seeking a change in the poll schedule. Currently the polling dates are 11, 15, 19, 22 and 25 July. The state government will plead that either the poll should be completed by 9 July or it is held after 10 August.
The CPI-M is already blaming the state government for the “inconvenience” the minority population would face because of the poll schedule during Ramzan. “The poll process could have been completed before the commencement of the holy month had not the state government decided to go on a totally unnecessary collision course with the state election commission. Now, the ruling party is shedding crocodile tears over the difficulties to be faced by the minority population to cash in on their sentiments,” said a CPI-M state secretariat member.
An “apolitical” delegation of the Muslim community today met chief election commissioner  Mira Pande and urged her to reschedule the election dates. The delegation included the Imam of Nakhoda Mosque, Registrar of Aliah University and professors of Bengal Engineering and Science University and St. Xaviers (Autonomous) College.
“I’m sympathetic to your cause but I’m helpless and cannot reschedule the poll dates,” said Mrs Pande. Later the members of the delegation said their organisation  will also separately move the SC. During the day, they also organised a rally from Birla Planetarium to Rawdon Square near the SEC office.

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