'Voting right granted by Constitution, not by EC or BJP': Bengal minister Firhad Hakim

Kolkata, March 25 (IANS) Kolkata Mayor and West Bengal Minister Firhad Hakim, on Wednesday, lashed out at the Election Commission over the controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, saying "the right to vote has been granted by the Indian Constitution".

Hakim, along with his daughter Priyadarshini, was in Bhabanipur Assembly constituency to campaign for next month's two-phased Assembly election in West Bengal.

Trinamool Congress leader Firhad Hakim told reporters, "Seems like the Election Commission (EC) has been given the status of God. Every Indian has the right to vote. This right has been given by the Constitution, not by the EC, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), or the Central government. One who doesn't follow the Constitution cannot be an Indian."

He also alleged that the EC is "indulging into scam", adding that "a democracy cannot function through scams."

Accusing the EC of being biased, the Kolkata Mayor said, "Supreme Court should also know that Election Commission is directly siding with the BJP. Being a Constitutional body, it should not do such things. It should maintain a rulebook."

Bhabanipur has emerged as one of the most closely watched Assembly constituencies, set for a high-voltage contest between West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, making it a prestige battle that hinges heavily on public sentiment.

Expressing confidence of Chief Minister Banerjee's victory from the Bhabanipur constituency, Minister Hakim said, "We (Trinamool Congress) are getting a good response here. Everybody is saying that they are with 'didi' (Mamata Banerjee). I hope she will win with a huge margin from Bhabanipur."

He added, "We are connected with the people 24x7. 'Didi' (Mamata Banerjee) is the daughter of Bhabanipur."

His daughter Priyadarshini Hakim, also a Trinamool leader, said, "Our slogan says "Unnayan ghore ghore" which means there is development in each house of West Bengal."

"We (Trinamool Congress) are undertaking a door-to-door campaign in Bhabanipur to remind people about the developmental words done by Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government," she added.

--IANS

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