Bengal BJP leader backs top award for election commissioner
West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya has called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to receive the Padma Bhushan, crediting him with a violence-free Assembly election and changes to the voter roll. His comments came amid opposition protests, demands for Kumar’s resignation and a Supreme Court challenge to election-related decisions.
West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya has proposed that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar receive the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award. Bhattacharya credited Kumar with helping ensure a violence-free Assembly election in the State. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Bhattacharya said voters had been allowed to cast their ballots without intimidation.
He also praised Kumar for what he described as “cleansing” the voter list by removing the names of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Bhattacharya said West Bengal had rarely witnessed an election like the one he described and claimed the public was grateful to Kumar. His endorsement came amid a wider dispute over the Election Commission’s functioning.
The controversy followed reports that two election commissioners had objected to decisions allegedly taken in their names during the Special Intensive Revision exercise. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Kumar, accusing them of damaging the foundations of democracy by undermining the vote. The source material says the Abhijeet Dipke-led Cockroach Janta Party issued Kumar a 48-hour ultimatum to resign as chief election commissioner.
The organisation threatened a nationwide agitation if he remained in office after the deadline. The Congress also held protests on September 25 seeking Kumar’s removal and arrest. Separately, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court challenging election-related orders and software changes allegedly made by Kumar without the agreement of the other two election commissioners.
BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra offered a different interpretation of reported disagreements among the commissioners. He said differing views during official deliberations demonstrated that the Election Commission was functioning democratically. The supplied material does not state whether Kumar or the Election Commission responded to Bhattacharya’s proposed award.
It also does not provide an outcome for the petition or the resignation ultimatum.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.