Dola Sen: Entire Opposition Unity Now Recognises Significance of CEC Row
TMC MP Dola Sen says the INDIA alliance is united in protesting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR controversy.
Trinamool Congress MP Dola Sen has asserted that the entire opposition unity now recognizes the significance of the ongoing controversy involving Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Speaking on the rising political tension, Sen highlighted that the INDIA alliance has moved into a coordinated phase of action regarding the issue.
Unified Front Against Election Commission
The statement from the TMC leader comes amidst a surge of protests across the country. Sen welcomed the recent joint protest march led by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai. The march, aimed at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters, was directed against the functioning of the poll panel and the leadership of Gyanesh Kumar.
According to Sen, the strategic direction for these protests was not spontaneous but a result of deliberate planning. "There was a meeting held on September 30th. In that meeting, the INDIA alliance—representing opposition unity—clearly outlined the plans that had been formulated," Sen stated. She further noted that Mamata Banerjee has been a vocal proponent of raising these concerns.
Allegations of Voter Suppression and Dictatorship
The protest in Mumbai saw intense rhetoric from the Thackeray duo. Uddhav Thackeray described the current political climate as an attack on democracy and voters' rights. He leveled serious allegations regarding the integrity of electoral rolls, claiming that names of nearly 13 crore people have been deleted from rolls across India, including in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
"We are standing here today to overthrow the dictator," Uddhav Thackeray declared, accusing the current administration of using the office of the CEC to bypass constitutional norms. He specifically targeted the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, alleging it is being used to manipulate voter lists.
Raj Thackeray echoed these sentiments, specifically demanding the immediate cancellation of the SIR exercise in Maharashtra. He extended a call to all political parties to march to Delhi to demand:
- The cancellation of the SIR exercise.
- The discontinuation of voting machines.
- The return to elections conducted via ballot papers.
TMC Alleges Power Consolidation by Centre
The controversy extends beyond the Election Commission to the internal workings of Parliament. Dola Sen addressed the removal of herself and TMC leader Kirti Azad from a parliamentary committee, accusing the Centre of aggressively consolidating power. She claimed that the ruling party has shifted its tactics for maintaining control over parliamentary chairmanships and state governments.
Sen also raised concerns regarding the conduct of certain MPs, alleging that some members of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) have been meeting with the BJP and attending NDA meetings without resigning from their original party. She noted that the TMC has already approached the Supreme Court regarding these procedural irregularities to ensure that rules are strictly followed.