EC claims unprecedented situation in WB, but waits for PM to complete campaign: Ahmed Patel

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Thursday raised questions over the Election Commission's order curtailing campaigning in West Bengal, wondering if the poll panel is "waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to complete his public meetings" there.

In first such action in India's electoral history, the Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 pm on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata.

In a hurriedly-convened press conference, Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said it was for the first time that such an action has been taken using constitutional powers of the poll panel.

Reacting to the development, Patel tweeted, "If 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?"