Bengal asked to give up control over state Election Commission, make it independent
Currently, the CEO's office is under the state's Home Department. If it becomes independent, the CEO's office will no longer be dependent on the state financially and in terms of appointment of election personnel.The development assumes even greater significance against the backdrop of the ongoing political showdown between the Centre and INDIA bloc parties and states ruled by them over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, months ahead of state elections.This comes a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that SIR would not be allowed to be implemented in Bengal. She even said that if needed, the Election Commission would be gheraoed.The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief made the announcement at the Martyr's Day rally on Monday. The Trinamool is running a campaign against the Election Commission's SIR exercise and is constantly opposing it.CENTRE VS OPPOSITION OVER BIHAR SIRThe Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar remains a flashpoint between the Election Commission of India and the Opposition.While the poll body assured the Supreme Court that the citizenship of a person would not be cancelled if he or she is found ineligible for registration in the roll revision, Opposition leaders raised strong objections, alleging that the revision could be misused to omit the names of minority, Dalit and Opposition-leaning voters ahead of the key assembly polls.The Trinamool Congress, along with the RJD, claimed the drive could lead to mass deletions of voters from marginalised communities, especially in rural and minority-dominated regions.In response, the central government said that the SIR is a routine process and follows the guidelines set by the Election Commission.- EndsMust Watch
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