WB: Ahmed Patel questions EC's decision, says poll body kept in mind PM's rally schedule while banning campaigning

Congress leader Ahmed Patel came down heavily on the Election Commission after it cut short campaigning period in West Bengal.

The senior party leader questioned the poll body's decision and asked if the situation in the state was severe, why did the commission not ban campaigning with immediate effect.

Taking to Twitter, Patel asked, "If the situation in Bengal is so severe that campaigning must be stopped, why is EC waiting until tomorrow? Is it because PM has scheduled rallies tomorrow?"

"Isn't it unprecedented that EC claims it's an unprecedented situation in West Bengal but yet is waiting for PM to complete his public meetings?" he tweeted.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address election rallies in Mathurapur and Dumdum.

On Wednesday, the Election Commission decided to cut short the campaign period in the state after the violence was reported during BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow on Wednesday.

"No election campaigning to be held in nine parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal, namely Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, South and North Kolkata, from 10 pm tomorrow till the conclusion of polls," Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar told media.

Campaigning was originally scheduled to end at 5 pm on Friday for the nine constituencies that will go to polls on May 19.