Bhimshankar removed, CPI(M) trades guns on another observer

Kolkata, Apr 26 (UNI) The Election Commission today removed Mr H R Bhimashankar as Expenditure Observer for Belgachhia(East) constituency following the complaint of the CPI(M), which had also urged the Commission to be careful about the credential of observers before sending them to West Bengal.

The Commission, in its order on the eve of the third phase polling in the state, replaced Mr Bhimashankar with Mr A Sabre and Mr N Ahmed, sources in the election office said.

Mr Bhimashankar's removal came a day after the CPI(M) complained against him for describing Belgachhia(East) constituency as ''notorious'' in a media conference.

During a discussion session on a television channel, where CPI(M) MP Shamik Lahiri was present, the TV flashed video shots of a media conference addressed by Mr Bhimashankar.

The observer had also allegedly said the constituency, from where Trnasport Minister Subhash Chakraborty was contesting, had never witnessed a free and fair election.

Questioning whether an observer had the right to pass ''such extremely disparaging and depreciatory'' remarks about any constituency, party state committee secretary Biman Bose said the violation assumed greater significance since Mr Bhimashankar was deputed as Expenditure Observer for the constituency.

He said the EC should ensure that no such person was sent to the state.

''We are happy that Mr Bhimashankar has been called back. But we do not know how many such observers are there...all of them are not angels...my request to the EC is that it should check the credentials of the observers, '' he added.

Mr Basu said the CPI(M) had also lodged a complaint with the EC against another observer Durgacharan Sahu allegedly for his remark on a television channel on the possibility of holding repoll in Belgachhia(East) constituency.

''We have asked the EC how an observer can have such a pre-conceived notion and how he can comment like this on the basis of a hypothetical question even before the polling. Making such utterances is out of the jurisdiction of any observer, '' he said.

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