"Ensure a LEVEL PLAYING FIELD”: TMC Lodges Complaint with ECI Against Central Agencies “Acting at the Behest of BJP”

The Trinamool Congress on Monday registered a formal complaint with the Election Commission of India against the Bharatiya Janata Party, raising concerns about what they perceive as illegal and coercive actions by central government departments and agencies at the behest of the BJP run central government against TMC members. “The mandate of the people is being compromised and their elected representatives are being crippled in the run-up to the General Elections,” said Trinamool Congress.

A delegation of Trinamool Congress representatives, including Rajya Sabha MPs Derek O’Brien, Sagarika Ghose, Dola Sen, and Saket Gokhale, held discussions with Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and other senior officials of the Election Commission in Delhi.

In the letter submitted to the Election Commission, TMC pointed out instances where members of opposition parties, including TMC leaders, have been targeted by various central government agencies drawing inferences to the arrests of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, and Arvind Kejriwal, the incumbent Chief Minister of Delhi, by the Enforcement Directorate. These actions, according to the TMC, are unprecedented and raise questions about the integrity of the electoral process.

“These are not sporadic events. On the contrary, the modus operandi being employed by departments/agencies is being done at the behest of the ruling dispensation at the Centre. The aforesaid illegal acts of executive overreach are not restricted only to the ED but also extend to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Income Tax Department (IT) and the National Investigating Agency (NIA), These are being executed in a targeted and planned manner which would render the entire electoral process nugatory,” alleged the Trinamool Congress.

The letter submitted by the TMC leadership highlights specific examples of alleged harassment that include raids conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation at locations linked to Mahua Moitra, a contesting party candidate from the Krishnanagar constituency, and the summoning of Moitra by the ED for questioning in a case in connection with the FEMA. The letter also highlights instances where TMC members have been raided, summoned, or arrested by agencies like the ED, CBI, the Income Tax Department (IT), and the National Investigating Agency (NIA). The party leadership has maintained that such actions not only disrupt the electioneering efforts of TMC candidates but also create a negative perception of the party among voters. They allege that these actions benefit the BJP, which is in power at the Centre, and impede the TMC's ability to contest the elections effectively.

“The government has shown brazen use of State power without ever targeting anyone from the ruling party at the Centre. AITC looks to the Election Commission to ensure a LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. This must be done to protect the basic structure of the Constitution,” reads the letter. The party leadership has underscored the importance of upholding the integrity of the electoral process and protecting the rights of opposition parties to campaign freely without fear of harassment or intimidation. They have requested immediate action to restrain central government departments and agencies from taking any further steps that could hinder the participation of TMC candidates and leaders in the upcoming elections. Additionally, they have called for the transfer of directors of agencies like the ED, CBI, IT, and NIA to prevent bias and undue influence in favour of any political party.​