FIR against TMC leader for comments against CPI(M) poll agents

Election Commission officials said after hearing her comments on TV, they've asked district authorities to take action

The Election Commission Saturday ordered filing of an FIR against Trinamool Congress MLA Sonali Guha after she was caught on camera allegedly ordering party workers to beat CPI-M polling agents.

"Mere baar kore dis CPI(M) agent der ekdom, ora EVM kharap kore rekhe diyeche. (Drive out the CPI-M agents by beating them, they have damaged the EVM)," Guha was heard as telling someone over phone. The conversation was recorded by TV channels.

Guha, also the deputy speaker in the outgoing West Bengal Assembly, is the Trinamool candidate from South 24 Parganas district's Satgachia constituency.

The Election Commission officials said after hearing her comments on TV they have asked the district authorities to file an FIR against her in this case.

In one of the booths in her constituency, voting was halted for sometime after an EVM was found to be malfunctioning.

Hearing this, Guha went to the booth and tried to check the EVM herself but was stopped by the central armed forces.

"Polling has stopped here for more than an hour but the EC has taken no action," the Trinamool leader said.

The fifth phase of the state Assembly polls began today.