Kejriwal terms EC 'biased', asks why campaign in WB ordered to be stopped on Thursday night

Accusing the Election Commission of being "biased", Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked why the poll panel ordered campaign be stopped in West Bengal at 10 pm Thursday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rallies in the state.

In the first such action in India's electoral history, the poll panel on Wednesday invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to end campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies at 10 pm on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, following violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata on Tuesday.

Polling for the nine Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal will be held on May 19.

During his election campaign at Moga in Punjab, Kejriwal told reporters that he strongly condemns the "attitude" of the EC.

"We strongly condemn the attitude of the Election Commission. Why was the campaign ordered to be stopped after Modiji's rallies. We have never seen this biased EC in the history of the country," the AAP national convener said.

Expressing his support to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, he hoped that the people of the state "will teach Modi a lesson in the polls".

Meanwhile in New Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party volunteers joined in a protest Mobile Torch Rally in Chittaranjan Park area with a group of citizens to protest the violence in West Bengal.

AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj, who participated in the protest, said, "What is happening in West Bengal is extremely serious and shows our democracy is in danger."