Trinamool will support any motion that seeks to remove CEC: Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal CM says Opposition lacks numbers to remove CEC but wants issue on record; alleges bias in special revision of electoral rolls
 "Trinamool will support any motion that seeks to remove CEC: Mamata Banerjee")
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that she and her party’s Members of Parliament would support any motion that a united Opposition, led by the Congress, brings for the removal of India’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). The Bengal chief minister said that while neither her party nor a united Opposition has the requisite numbers in Parliament to ensure the passage of such a motion, the effort would be to put it on record.
Banerjee on Tuesday evening addressed a press conference in the national capital, where she alleged that victims of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were not being given an opportunity to defend themselves. She also questioned the intent behind conducting the SIR in states ruled by Opposition parties, and not in Assam, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in power, just ahead of assembly elections in some of these states.
Banerjee travelled to the national capital with “victims” from Bengal of the SIR process, who sat behind her as she addressed the media. On Monday, Banerjee and other leaders of her party, the Trinamool Congress, had taken some of these people to a meeting with CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR issue. However, Banerjee later walked out in protest, claiming that their delegation was “insulted”. She also accused the Election Commission (EC) of acting at the BJP’s behest.
Asked whether she supported Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s statement that a Congress-led government at the Centre would “retrospectively” amend the law that provides immunity to Election Commissioners, Banerjee answered in the affirmative.
She said her party and she would support any move that is “genuine, practical and in the interest of the people”.
“We also want that he is impeached. I know we (the Opposition) do not have the numbers (for a motion for the removal of the CEC to be passed by the two Houses), but it would go on record. If they (the Congress) were to bring a motion for the removal of the CEC, we will take our MPs into confidence and support it. When an issue is in public interest, all of us in the Opposition come together,” Banerjee said, adding that she has no objection to Gandhi’s suggestion.
Under Article 324 of the Constitution, the CEC can be removed on the basis of proven incapacity or misbehaviour through a process similar to that for removing a Supreme Court judge. However, an Election Commissioner can be removed from office upon the recommendation of the CEC.