Special observer for Bengal irks TMC

The last time that the EC had sent a special observer was in 2004, when it had assigned Afzal Amanullah, a Bihar cadre IAS official known for his efficiency, for the job.

Rakesh, who arrives today, will meet officials of the EC tomorrow.

“I am coming tonight and I will meet officials there and will decide on my next course of action. If needed I will go to North Bengal, too,” Rakesh, who had come to West Bengal as observer in 2011, told The Indian Express.

The Trinamool Congress has taken serious exception to the EC’s move.

“People will now raise questions about the impartiality of the Election Commission. 2004 and 2014 are not the same. The Congress and the BJP are using the Commission to win votes here but their design will be defeated by the people here,” Partha Chatterjee, party secretary general and a state minister, told The Indian Express.